Namrup, Dec 22: Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Sunday laid the foundation stone for a Rs 10,601-crore brownfield ammonia-urea fertiliser plant at Namrup in Dibrugarh district of Assam. The project is expected to strengthen fertiliser availability in the Northeast and support regional industrial growth.

The new facility of the Assam Valley Fertiliser and Chemical Company Ltd (AVFCCL) will be set up within the existing premises of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertiliser Corporation Ltd (BVFCL). Once commissioned, the plant will have an annual production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes of urea and is targeted for completion by 2030.

Addressing a public gathering after the foundation stone-laying ceremony, the Prime Minister said the project would help reduce transportation costs, improve the availability of fertilisers in the region, and create employment opportunities through direct and indirect activities linked to manufacturing and maintenance.

During his address, Modi referred to the condition of earlier fertiliser plants in Namrup and stated that delays in modernisation had affected farmers in the region. He said the government was focusing on reviving and expanding fertiliser production capacity, adding that India’s urea production has increased from 225 lakh metric tonnes in 2014 to 306 lakh metric tonnes at present.

The Prime Minister also spoke about farmer welfare initiatives, including the PM Kisan Samman Nidhi scheme, under which about Rs 4 lakh crore has been transferred directly to farmers’ bank accounts. He said the Centre continues to provide subsidies on imported fertilisers to meet the country’s annual requirement of around 380 lakh metric tonnes. He also highlighted the importance of balanced fertiliser use for soil health and referred to initiatives to promote edible oil self-sufficiency, including palm oil cultivation in the Northeast.

AVFCCL is a joint venture involving the Government of Assam, Oil India Limited, National Fertilisers Limited, Hindustan Urvarak & Rasayan Limited, and BVFCL. The company was incorporated in July this year, and the project received Union Cabinet approval in March.

The fertiliser plant is expected to cater to the needs of Assam, other Northeast states, West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh, contributing to fertiliser security and regional development.