ANGUL: An empowered committee of secretaries would study financial models for revival of closed units of Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCI), including the Talcher unit.
In a written reply, the Union Minister of Chemicals and Fertilisers M.K.Azhagiri informed this to Rajya Sabha member Rudra Narayan Pany recently.
The committee, that was formed in October, has been asked to submit its recommendations including the model of revival of the closed units to the Government.
While secretary of the Fertiliser Ministry is the Chairman of the committee, secretaries of Expenditure, Disinvestment, Planning Commission, Public Enterprises and Petroleum and Natural Gas are members. According to the Minister, Project and Development India Limited (PDIL), has been asked by the committee for asset evaluation in respect of various closed units of Talcher urea plant. Further, financial consultants have also been appointed by PDIL in coordination with the companies for examining various options for revival of the units. The report of the committee is yet to be received, the Minister mentioned. The Talcher fertiliser plant, set up in the ‘70s, produced urea from coal since 1980s. Following losses, Centre closed the plant in 1998.