Patnaik urges PM to ask IOCL set up PCPIR

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to ask IOCL to set up an integrated Naptha Cracker unit under the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR), Paradip.
"An integrated Naptha Cracker Unit needs to be set up urgently if the objectives of setting up the PCPIR are to be realised," Patnaik wrote to the Prime Minister.
He said that Naptha Cracker unit will provide possibility of maximising production of Ethylene, Propylene, Butadiene and Aromatic cuts.
Patnaik further said these will work as feedstock for a variety of industries that could serve the increasing demands of petrochemical products in the country across sectors such as textiles, polymersm pharmaceuticals, speciality chemicals and others.

Patnaik mentioned that in the meeting held on January 30, 2014 under the chairmanship of Union Minister for Petroleum and Natural Gas, the establishment of Naptha Cracker unit was planned and IOCL was advised to evolve a time bound plan for producing power from gas instead of naptha.
Subsequently, Odisha Chief secretary in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary on May 2, 2015 had requested to intervene in the matter to impress upon IOCL to establish a Naptha Carcker unit, Patnaik said.
Therefore, Patnaik said: "It is requested that IOCL may be asked to take up development of Naptha Cracker and downstream units on priority. It is also important that development of common infrastracture and utilities at the PCPIR, is taken up concurrently and necessary financial support from the Govenrment of India is extended for the success of the project."

Patnaik said this would help spurring industsrial as well as overall socio-economic development of the eastern region.