Dibrugarh, July 14: The Namrup Fertilizer Sramik Union, the recognised trade union of the Namrup-based Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Ltd, today demanded immediate intervention of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh in setting up of a state-of-the-art fourth plant in order to secure the future of the company.
The union today sent memoranda to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi through the Dibrugarh district administration, urging urgent measures in setting up Namrup-IV.
The union office-bearers told reporters later at AASU Swahid Bhawan here that there has been a steep decline in the production of urea by the company of late, as the third plant (Namrup-III) ceased production from May 26 because of a technical breakdown.
Tileswar Bora, the general secretary of the union, said the public sector fertiliser company had recently received a supply order of 50,000 metric tonnes of urea from Nepal. But the order had to be cancelled because of shortage in production.
"This is the peak season for urea consumers, like the tea industry, small tea growers, paddy cultivators and others in the region and the neighbouring countries. However, it is really unfortunate that the plant is almost in a closure stage because of sheer negligence of the government," Bora alleged. He said the company had been unable to supply urea to its regular consumers in Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and other states, for the past month, resulting in heavy losses.
The company is gradually limping back to normalcy after the bifurcation of the sick units of the erstwhile Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation Ltd and was revamped in 2006.
The three plants ' Namrup-I, Namrup-II and Namrup-III ' were set up in 1969, 1976 and 1987 respectively. In 1986, Namrup-I was shut down because of low output and growing age.
The two functioning plants, Namrup-II and Namrup-III, have been producing less than 3.5 lakh metric tonnes of urea annually, much less than its optimum capacity of 5.55 lakh metric tonnes.
"We have learnt that some measures are being taken in New Delhi and the matter is lying with the Planning Commission. Therefore, we urge the Centre and the state government to ensure that the project is through," Bora said.
There are no comments yet