Prime Minister Narendra Modi might lay the foundation stone for the proposed Rs 5,465 crore fertilizer plant in Ramagundam in Telangana before December, Union Minister Hansraj Gangaram Ahir said today.
The Minister of State for Fertilizers and Chemicals also said his ministry has plans to increase the number CIPETs (Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology) to 40 from the current 27 across the country.
“He (Modi) may come before December to lay foundation stone. Earlier it was coal-based plant. Now it will be gas-based,” Ahir told reporters on the sidelines of an interactive programme organised by Federation of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh Chambers of Commerce and Industry.
National Fertilizers Limited (NFL), Engineers India Limited (EIL) and Fertilizer Corporation of India (FCIL) had earlier signed an agreement to form a joint venture company (JVC) for setting up new ammonia and urea plants at the existing site of Ramagundam fertilizer plant.
The JV formed a new company called Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited. The gas-based plant, which will have the capacity to produce 1.1 million tonnes of urea per annum, is expected to commission in 2018-19.
Replying a query, Ahir said the government is planning to add 13 more CIPETS in the next three years to meet the growing demand of manpower in the plastic industry.
“Subsequently, the plan is to take them (CIPET) to 100,” he added.
Earlier in his speech, Ahir said India is currently importing nine million tonnes of urea to the meet the domestic demands. “The requirement is 310 lakh tonnes of Urea. It is unfortunate that we are currently importing around 90 lakh tonnes,” he said.
The Union Minister said the Centre is in discussions with Iranian government for setting up an urea manufacturing plant in that country due to abundant availability of natural gas.
He, however, did not give any time-frame for the discussions to mature to an MoU stage.