Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday said the BJP-led “double engine government” at the Center and the state is addressing the long-pending problems created by the Congress in Assam alleging years of neglect of Namrup fertilizer units.
Highlighting the reforms undertaken under the BJP leadership, he said the production of urea has increased from 225 lakh metric tonnes in 2014 to about 306 lakh metric tonnes across the country.
Addressing a public meeting in Namrup, Prime Minister Modi said that Congress governments failed to modernize old factories, due to which many industrial units in the region were closed.
The Prime Minister said, “Just think, why work for the welfare of farmers is being done only after the BJP government came to power? The technology in the old factories was outdated and the Congress governments did not pay any attention to it. Due to this, many units of Namrup kept being closed.”
He further said that Congress never resolved these issues and remained indifferent to the problems faced by farmers and labourers.
Prime Minister Modi said, “Congress did not find any solution to this problem. They were indifferent. Our two-engine government is also solving the problems which were created by the Congress itself.”
Highlighting the increase in fertilizer production, the Prime Minister said that there has been a significant increase in urea production in the country in the last decade.
He further said, “They did such a poor job that even after 11 years of hard work, I still have a lot of work left to do. In 2014, only 225 lakh metric tonnes of urea was produced across the country. After the last 10-11 years of hard work, this production has increased to about 306 lakh metric tonnes.”
This morning, Prime Minister Modi performed the bhoomi pujan for the new brownfield ammonia-urea fertilizer project at Namrup within the existing premises of Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL) at Namrup in Dibrugarh district.
Prime Minister Modi announced the beginning of a “new chapter” in industrial progress, calling it “a big day” for Assam and the North-East.
The project, with an estimated investment of about Rs 10,600 crore, will meet the fertilizer requirements of Assam and neighboring states, reduce dependence on imports, generate substantial employment and drive regional economic growth. It is the cornerstone of industrial revival and farmer welfare.
Addressing a public meeting, Prime Minister Modi said, “Today is a big day for Assam and the entire North-East. The long-awaited dream of Namrup and Dibrugarh is coming true today. A new chapter of industrial development is going to begin in this entire region. Before coming to Dibrugarh, a new airport terminal was inaugurated in Guwahati. Everyone is saying that Assam has taken a new pace of development. What you are seeing now is just the beginning.”
Earlier, Union Minister for Ports, Shipping and Waterways Sarbananda Sonowal had said, “Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL), the oldest fertilizer unit in Northeast India, has been serving the farmers of the region since its inception. To further increase its capacity, a fourth plant is to be set up at the Namrup site. With the support of the Government of India, the new plant is expected to be completed in the next five years, with a production capacity of 12.5 lakh metric tonnes per annum.”
He further said that this expansion will transform the plant into a major production hub, which will cater to the fertilizer needs of the farmers of the North East and will also enable exports to neighboring countries like Bhutan and Myanmar. Additional markets in West Bengal and Bihar will also be served through this increased capacity.
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi visited the Martyrs’ Memorial area in West Boragaon, Guwahati, where he paid tribute to the martyrs of the Assam movement.