Talcher: Addressing the foundation stone laying ceremony of the new coal gasification based Ammonia Urea Plant of Talcher Fertilizer Limited here Saturday, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik urged that 50% of the urea produced from this plant should be allocated to the farmers of Odisha.
“On this occasion, I would like to request the Hon’ble Prime Minister to consider allocation of at least 50 per cent of the urea produced from the plant at Talcher to Odisha to meet the requirement of the farmers of the State,” said the Chief Minister.
He elucidated, “Farming of Odisha is predominantly rice based. This requires more use of fertilisers especially urea. However, the present level 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 Eastern part of India, Odisha is getting urea from plants in Andhra Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Maharashtra. This involves long distance transport which causes delay in availability and also scarcity at times.”
The Chief Minister also stated, “With the commissioning of this Plant the dream of Odisha of having a urea plant would get realized. With the annual production of 1.27 million metric tonnes of urea from this plant, it is expected that the availability of urea to the farmers of the state will improve, which would help in increasing the crop production, thereby contributing to the growth of agriculture. This plant will also promote alternative use of coal in an environment friendly manner.”
“Odisha is fast emerging as the ‘Manufacturing Hub of Eastern India’. The state has achieved rapid socio-economic and industrial growth in the past 2 decades. We are growing at a rate higher than the national average and 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 timely implementation of this important project,” assured the Chief Minister.
PNN