BHUBANESWAR: The state government has reiterated its demand for the revival of the Talcher fertiliser plant.
The issue was raised by industries minister Debi Prasad Mishra at the three day international conference on Chemicals and Petrochemical Conference at Mumbai in the presence of union minister for chemicals and fertilisers Ananth Kumar. The conference concluded on Saturday.
Mishra said he had taken up the issue by writing a letter to the union minister in November, 2015 and followed it up during the Mumbai conference. He suggested that coal which is used now only to produce thermal power, should also be utilised for its chemical value.
The minister said coal gassification route should be utilised for the revival of the fertiliser plant at Talcher. Mishra said response from the Union Minister was positive. Mishra also raised the issue of proposed petroleum, Chemical and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR) at Paradip and requested the union minister to set up petro-chemical feedstock along with a cracker unit and other petro-chemical units. He said that the PCPIR will not attract investment unless a feedstock is set up.
The industries minister requested the union minister to formulate a new PCPIR policy to boost the prospects of the proposed PCPIR. The PCPIR is being set up on 284 square kilometers land at Paradip.
The Industrial Development Corporation of Orissa Limited (IDCOL) has taken up infrastructure development in the area while the state government has provided electricity, water and transport facilities. Besides, Paradip Investment Region Development Limited has also set up to oversee the establishment of the PCPIR.
Mishra said establishment of the 15 million ton capacity oil refinery at Paradip by Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) has created opportunities for setting up ancillary and value added chemical and petro-chemical industries. He said that possibilities for employment generation will increase manifold if value added petro-chemical industries are established in the region.
The state government which formulated its industrial policy recently has given priority on petro-chemical industries and announced several incentives for the sector.