Make Assam Gas Cracker project operational by June: Ananth

Reviewing the progress of Brahmaputra Crackers and Polymers Ltd's (BCPL) Rs 10,000 crore petrochemical project in Assam, Fertiliser Minister Ananth Kumar has asked the stakeholders that project should become operational by June 2015.
The project named as Assam Gas Cracker Project was approved by the government in April 2006 at Lepetkata, near Dibrugarh Assam, with GAIL having 70 per cent equity participation in the project and the rest equally shared by Oil India Ltd (OIL), Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) and the Government of Assam.
According to sources, the minister took serious note of delay in completion of the project and directed the concerned to adhere to the timeliness for completion of the project without any further delay so as to achieve the mechanical completion of the project by November, 2014 and commissioning by June 2015.

After the Cabinet approval in 2006, the project was scheduled to be completed in December 2013.
The review meeting was attended by the heads of implementing agencies namely GAIL, OIL, NRL, Govt of Assam, EIL and BHEL.
However, sources added that so far 97.8 per cent of the project has been completed.

The Assam Gas Cracker Project will be the first ever petrochemicals project in the entire North-East at Lepetkata near Dibrugarh in Assam.
The feedstock for the project will be natural gas and naphtha. OIL and ONGC will supply gas and naphtha shall be supplied by NRL.
Amid delays in completion of the project, the board of BCPL has also approved to submit a proposal for enhancement of the capital cost to Rs 9,586.25 crore and this will be second time the cost of project will be enhanced.

The Assam Gas Cracker Project was initiated in pursuance of the Memorandum of Settlement signed between Central Government, All Assam Students Union (AASU) and All Assam Gana Parishad (AAGP) on 15th August 1985.