Andhra Urea Unit Shut For Want Of Coal

The Fertiliser Corporation of India plant, situated amid coal mines of state-owned Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) in Karimnagar district, has not been able to produce even one tonne of urea since April.

The plant was supplied barely 215 tonnes of coal since April, when it had a daily linkage of 3,000 tonnes with mines specified for it from the Singareni Collieries Company Ltd, Fertiliser Corporation sources said.

Coal from the adjoining mines was being transported regularly to feed the Raichur thermal power station in Karnataka, the sources added.

This is the first time since November 1980 that the Ramagundam plant has been shut down for want of coal, plant general manager S Biswas told visiting newsmen recently.

 

More so when our Rs 70 lakh is lying with the SCCL for supply of coal, he added.

Biswas complained despite many representations to the state government. He was regularly in touch with the SCCL authorities, coal from mines in adjoining areas is being diverted to Raichur.

The 1,155 employees of the Ramagundam unit is threatening to stage a 'rail roko' to stop the movement of coal to Raichur.

Fertiliser Corporation employees union vice-president M Gopal Rao said.

In spite of the 45-day strike in SCCL, the Ramagundam plant produced 1.07 lakh tonnes of urea against the target of 1.75 lakh tonnes in 1995-96, he said.