Govt to pump Rs 28,000 cr to revive sick fertiliser units

Mumbai, Jan 2 (UNI) The Government will infuse Rs 28,000 crore to revive all the eight sick public sector fertiliser units so as to produce 80 lakh tonnes of additional fertiliser to meet the growing demand.

''The Government has decided to reopen the eight closed units, including the Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation, to produce additional 80 lakh tonnes of fertilisers,'' Chemicals and Fertilisers Minister Ram Vilas Paswan said here today.

The decision to close down the units was taken by the erstwhile NDA Government, he said while adding that the units at Haldia, Durgapur, Barauni, Sindri, Ramagundem, Gorakhpur and Talcher each would be able to produce 10 lakh tonnes of fertilisers annually once they are reopened.

However, it all depends upon the availability of gas to the fertilizer units in the country, he said while pointing out that 70 per cent of the production of fertilisers depended on the availability of gas.

It may be recalled that government had recently fixed the price of gas from the Krishna Godavari basin, where Reliance Petroleum has committed to supply gas to the fertiliser units in the country.

He also informed that one fertiliser unit is proposed to be opened in Kuwait soon.

UNI AD SR SV KN1931