Bhubaneswar, Aug. 31: The state government today assured the Centre of providing all sort of help to renovate the Talcher fertiliser plant.

At present, the Centre is facilitating the setting up of a new urea plant-based coal gasification technology at the site of a closed unit of Talcher Fertiliser Limited, about 150km from here.

For the urea plant, the Centre wants the state government to waive stamp duty on the sub-lease of land by Fertiliser Corporation of India Limited (FCIL), exemption of goods and services tax (GST) on purchase of goods, removal of encroachments over the existing water supply line, railway tracks and rehabilitation of the revenue villages situated within the north of Arakhpal coal block allotted for the project.

Raising the issue with the state government, Union chemicals and fertilisers secretary B.S. Sihag, in a letter, also asked the state government to renovate the existing road from FCI Chowk on the National Highway 42 to the FCIL plant, which is approximately 8km away.

Sihag also asked the state to give concession of electricity duty on power generation. Approximately, 25MW of power is required for the Talcher project.

On receiving the Centre's letter, chief secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi today called a meeting at the secretariat to review the progress on the works of the Talcher plant. 'We will provide all help to the project. The works will be completed by mid-2021,' he said.

However, Padhi said there was a need to allot coal blocks to the project. 'We will also have to displace nearly 500 families of four to five villages. We will be working on how to do it with proper compensation,' said Padhi.

An official said the coal gasification technology had been shortlisted. 'The site topography survey job has been awarded,' he said.

The Talcher project aims to produce 1.27 million metric tonnes of urea annually based on coal as feedstock. 'Coal shall be used as feedstock in coal gasification unit and will get converted into synthesis gas. The project will give the much needed urea to the farmers, particularly in the eastern part of the country,' said Sihag, in his letter to the state government.

Sihag further said the project would generate jobs and boost economy in the state. 'The project is being closely monitored by the department of fertilisers and the Centre is concerned that the project gets commissioned according to its schedule,' he said.

Allegation

After visiting the flood affected areas at Kalyansingpur block in Rayagada district, Union minister Jual Oram on Thursday lashed out at the state government for its alleged failure in carrying out relief operations properly. 'The relief and rescue operations were not done properly. Several flood-affected people are yet to receive relief. Besides, names of some affected people are not in the list to get benefit under the relief package,' said Oram.