Ranchi, Jan. 13: The much-awaited revival of the Sindri Plant of Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCI) is now in the hands of NITI Aayog, which now has to take a call on the fate of the single bidder for the Rs 6,000cr project.
Gujarat-based Adani Group, which bid for the project in November 16, 2015, did so after the Union Cabinet approved the revival of the closed urea plant at Sindri by selecting an operator through open bidding in May. No other company bid for the project.
According to a senior state government official, the Centre had sent word that NITI Aayog was apprised of the matter and that it was the national policy think tank which would take a final call whether the Adani Group could be handed over the project on "single party" basis.
The Sindri plant has been lying shut since 2002.
The Union cabinet approved open bidding for the project after SAIL (Steel Authority of India) withdrew its earlier proposal to revive the plant via a joint venture with National Fertilizers Limited (NFL).
The Centre did its best to attract bidders for the project, holding at least two road shows in Mumbai and Delhi last year. But, the response was lukewarm. Moreover, bid dates were extended twice. In the end, the Adanis were the only bidders.
The Gujarat-based conglomerate with interests in mining, port operations, power, had expressed its willingness to invest in Jharkhand earlier, and had even signed an MoU with the state government in June 2015, promising investments to the tune of Rs 50,000cr in plants to produce urea, power, SNG (substitute or synthetic natural gas produced from fossil fuels) and methanol.
The Adani Group is also known to be interested in setting up power plants with total capacity of 4,000MW at various locations, including areas in Godda or Sahebganj in Santhal Pargana, which has so far been ignored by industries.
Last week, sources in the state industry department said, chief secretary Rajiv Gauba held a meeting with senior representatives of the Adani Group, including CEO Rajesh Jha, to finalise the nitty-gritty of their thermal power plant projects.
Apparently, the company spoke of its plans to export power produced from the proposed Sahebganj plant to neighbouring Bangladesh.
Officials representing the state, on the other hand, made it clear that they would want at least 25 per cent electricity produced from the proposed plant to be given to Jharkhand.
State director (industries) K. Ravikumar said they were awaiting a response from the Centre.
"Both proposals (Sindri and power) are now in the court of the Government of India. We are waiting for a response for our next move," he told The Telegraph.
Adani Group representatives declined to comment since their proposed projects were still being discussed.
