Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers, Ananth Kumar on Friday announced that the Centre was keen to set up a urea manufacturing unit in Karnataka with an investment of about Rs. 6,000 crore.
Addressing farmers after formally launching the KRIBHCO’s neem coated urea at a programme organised in the University of Agricultural Sciences-Bengaluru here, the minister said already the Centre had written a letter to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah seeking 500 acres of land for locating the proposed fertilisers’ unit with a capacity of 1.3 million tonnes.
The chief minister had responded positively by promising to give not only land, but also 10 per cent equity with respect to the project, Mr. Kumar noted. The land would have to be given near the Bidadi-Dhabol gas pipeline as it would run on gas, he said. It should also have road and rail connectivity, he noted and pointed out that it may take about four years to set up the proposed plant after getting the land.
He also reiterated that the Centre would take steps to revive the Mangalore Chemicals & Fertilisers Limited that has been closed.
Meanwhile, following request by some of the farmers to render assistance from the Centre with respect to getting proper minimum support prices for maize and cotton whose prices have crashed in the market, he said he would take up the matter with Union Agriculture Minister Radha Mohan Singh and Finance Minister Arun Jaitley.
