NEW DELHI, April 11 ? In an encouraging development, Reliance Assam Petrochemical Limited (RAPL) today submitted Environment Impact Assessment Study report on gas cracker project to the Ministry of Forest and Environment (MOFE). The report prepared by a Bhopal based firm appointed by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) was submitted in presence of top RAPL officials including its vice chairman, MC Bora, Assam Industrial Development Corporation (AIDC) led by its chairman Hiranya Bora and environment experts of the Ministry.
Submission of the report notwithstanding, AIDC chairman said that the State Government was serious about the four-month deadline set by Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for the RIL to start project work. He said AIDC was closely monitoring the progress of the work though he conceded that the submission of the Environment Impact study was a positive step. It may be recalled here that frustrated by the delay in getting the project off ground, Sri Gogoi last month had given RIL four months time to start Project work. As reported earlier, it was conveyed to the Ministry of Petrochemicals that the State Government was contemplating to scrap the project in case RIL failed to start work within the deadline period.
The meeting convened by the Ministry of Forest and Environment was first of its kind and is likely to be followed by series of such meetings before the Ministry grants the environment clearance for the project. According to sources at the meeting AIDC chairman made a fervent plea to expedite the project work. ?The people of Assam have been waiting for the last 12 years for the project to come up and are now running out of patience,? he told this newspaper.
Meanwhile, there was no indication of signing of the Gas Supply Agrement (GSA) between the RIL and the ONGC in the near future, sources said, adding that the stalemate over the project was likely to continue. Assam Government sources said that the oil company while expressing its inability to supply the required gas for the project has suggested to RIL to procure the balance of the required gas from the international market. It may be mentioned that RAPL has been promised gas at a subsidised rate of Rs 600 PMT for the next 15 years.
In the face of the scarcity in availability of gas the project was down sized to 1 lakh TPA of ethylene from 2 lakh TPA. According to sources signing of the GSA with the ONGC was not the only hurdle as the Government of India is reluctant to accede to the demand of RAPL for sanctioning additional subsidies worth Rs 3,500 crore. It may be recalled here that Union Government has already earmarked subsidies worth Rs 377 crore for the project.