Namrup: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone of a Rs 10,601-crore brownfield ammonia-urea plant in Dibrugarh district of Assam.
The facility – Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd (AVFCCL) – will have an annual urea production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes, and the project is scheduled for commissioning in 2030.
The PM, on the last day of his two-day Assam visit, laid the foundation stone of the plant here, located within the existing premises of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corp Ltd (BVFCL).
The state-run BVFCL is the only urea-making facility in eastern India. The facility started production in January 1969 as a part of the Hindustan Fertiliser Corp Ltd (HFCL).
BVFCL was formed in April 2002 after hiving off the Namrup Unit of HFCL. It is under the administrative control of the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilisers, with 100 per cent shareholding by the Government of India.
In July this year, AVFCCL was incorporated at Namrup in Dibrugarh. The project was approved by the Union Cabinet in March this year.
AVFCCL is a joint venture among the Assam government, Oil India, National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) and BVFCL.
Modi arrived in Assam on Saturday on a two-day visit, during which he unveiled multiple projects worth Rs 15,600 crore, months before the assembly polls next year.
“The AVFCCL Namrup ammonia-urea project is being established as a modern, energy-efficient, world-class fertiliser complex with an annual urea production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes, at an estimated investment of Rs 10,601 crore,” the company said in a statement.
It said this upcoming facility will play a pivotal role in meeting the fertiliser requirement of Assam, the northeast region, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand and eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Modi accuses Congress of helping Bangladeshi immigrants settle in Assam
Addressing a public rally after unveiling the fertiliser plant, Modi alleged that the Congress did not make any effort to modernise the old plant here, and find solutions to problems faced by farmers.
Launching a scathing attack on the Congress, he accused the party of engaging in “anti-national” activities and helping illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in the state.
“The Congress is indulging in anti-national activities. They want illegal Bangladeshi immigrants to settle in Assam,” the PM claimed.
The opposition party is not concerned with the identity, existence and pride of Assamese people, which the BJP has been trying to protect, he said.
“The Congress is opposing the revision of voter lists as it only wants to grab power… They oppose whatever good I try to do… The BJP government will always work to protect the identity, land, pride and existence of Assamese people,” Modi asserted.
The Prime Minister said the BJP government’s aim is to make Assam as powerful as it was during the Ahom dynasty centuries ago.
“Industrialisation and connectivity are fulfilling Assam’s dreams. The double- engine government of BJP is empowering youths to see new dreams,” Modi said.
He said the Namrup urea plant will support local farmers and create thousands of jobs for youths of Assam.
“The Namrup fertiliser plant in Assam will become the epitome of the country’s industrial growth. It is sad that the Congress did not make efforts to modernise the plant and find solutions to problems faced by farmers,” the PM said.
He emphasised that India will progress only if farmers prosper, and the BJP government has introduced several schemes to uplift them.
“Many fertiliser factories were closed during the Congress rule. When we came to power, the BJP government established several new plants throughout the country,” Modi said.
The PM also said that the Centre’s palm oil mission will make the northeast self-sufficient in edible oil and increase farmers’ income in the coming days.
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