PM Modi Unveils Rs 10,601 cr Fertiliser Plant in Assam's Dibrugarh

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi laid the foundation stone of a massive fertiliser project worth Rs 10,601 crore at Namrup in Dibrugarh district of Assam on Sunday. The new plant is designed to manufacture ammonia-urea and is expected to be ready by 2030. 

Where is this plant and why here?

The site of the new plant is inside the existing premises of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Ltd (BVFCL) in Namrup, Dibrugarh, a region already known for industry and energy production in Assam. Dibrugarh’s economy is anchored by oil, gas and allied sectors. 

Officials say the Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd (AVFCCL) will be the main operator of the complex. The facility is being built as a brownfield expansion, meaning it upgrades and expands existing industrial land and infrastructure rather than starting from scratch on unused land. 

What will the plant produce?

Once operational, the plant is expected to produce about 12.7 lakh metric tonnes of urea every year. That could ease fertiliser supply in Assam and neighbouring states such as West Bengal, Bihar and parts of eastern India. It should also reduce dependence on imported fertilisers. 

Who's behind the project?

AVFCCL is a joint venture including the Assam government, Oil India, National Fertilisers Ltd (NFL), Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Ltd (HURL) and BVFCL. The Union Cabinet approved the project earlier this year. 

What did the Prime Minister say?

At the ceremony, PM Modi called the project a "big day for Assam" and said it will unlock development for the Northeast. He said the plant is expected to create jobs and help farmers with better fertiliser access.

In remarks at the event, the Prime Minister also criticised the Congress party, saying it failed in the past to modernise the old plants in the region and accused it of ignoring farmers’ needs.