Agartala, Oct. 31: The Tripura government will become a stakeholder in the fertiliser plant to be set up by Tata Chemicals by purchasing 10 per cent market equity.

Chief minister Manik Sarkar announced this today after a cabinet meeting. He said the ONGC had short-listed Tata Chemicals from among six bidders in the “expression of interest” floated by the oil and gas company.

“An investment of Rs 5,000 crore will be required to set up the urea plant. ONGC will make direct investment and also mobilise loans but Rs 2,000 crore will have to be gathered from the market through public sale of market equity. Our government will acquire 10 per cent of the equity,” the chief minister said.

Sarkar said the plant would be set up either in Dhalai or in the neighbouring north Tripura district on 800 to 1,000 acres of land.

“The district magistrates of North Tripura and Dhalai have been instructed to look for the required land with availability of water, road and railway connectivity so that the products of the plant can be easily transported,” said Sarkar.

He added that ONGC has a major gas-producing site at Khubol in north Tripura and efforts would be made to set up the urea plant near the site for easy availability of natural gas.

The chief minister also said the products of the plant will be supplied to other Northeast states of the Northeast and also Bangladesh, if they evince any interest in purchasing urea.

Sarkar said BPL fishermen above 55 years of age would be given a monthly pension of Rs 400 from December 1.

“Gaon panchayats, nagar panchayats and village committees have been entrusted with the task for preparing list of beneficiaries and on that basis pension will be given to BPL fishermen,” said Sarkar.

The services of 2,000 part-time employees in the administration will be upgraded to daily-rated workers with higher pay and minimum security of service,” he said.

“We have taken another important decision in the cabinet meeting regarding the retirement age of doctors practising homeopathy. With effect from today, the retirement age of homoeopathic doctors working in the health department has been raised to 60 years instead of the present 55,” said Sarkar.

The chief minister also indicated that the state government would announce more benefits for different sections of people including government employees before the Assembly election notification.