Talcher: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik on Saturday said that the foundation stone of the new coal gasification-based ammonia-urea fertiliser plant, laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at Talcher, was a long-standing demand of Odisha and the dream of the state will be realised with the commissioning of the plant.
“Today is a day of joy for the people of Odisha as the Prime Minister has laid the foundation stone of a new coal gasification-based ammonia-urea fertiliser plant. I offer my profound gratitude to the Prime Minister for taking this initiative,” Naveen said in his address at a public meeting here.
Stating that 1.27 million metric tonne of urea will be produced in this plant annually, he said it is expected that the availability of urea to the farmers of the state will help increase crop production thereby contributing to the growth of agriculture. The plant will also promote the alternative use of coal in an environment-friendly manner, he said.
Naveen also said that as the farming in Odisha was predominantly rice-based, the farmers needed more fertilisers, especially urea.
“However, the present use of fertiliser consumption in the state at 68 kg per hectare is just about half of the national average. As there is no urea plant in the eastern part of India, Odisha is getting urea from the plants in Uttar Pradesh, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra. This involves long-distance transport which causes a delay in the availability and also scarcity at times,” Naveen observed.
He requested the Prime Minister to consider the allocation of at least 50 per cent of the urea produced by the plant at Talcher to Odisha to meet the requirement of the farmers of the state.
Talking about the economic growth of Odisha, the Chief Minister said the state is fast emerging as a manufacturing hub in Eastern India and has achieved rapid socio-economic and industrial growth in the past two decades. “We are growing at a higher pace than the national average and the industrial development is a core component contributing to this fast growth of the state. Our vision is to continuously create and deliver outstanding opportunities for business growth. My government will provide all necessary facilitation support towards the timely implementation of this important project,” he pointed out.
While thanking the Prime Minister for his gracious presence on this occasion, the Chief Minister also congratulated the officials of the Talcher Fertiliser Limited and conveyed his wishes for the early commissioning of the project.
