The Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL) would start commercial production from September this year tentatively to deal with fertilizer shortage in Telangana, said Minister for Agriculture S. Niranjan Reddy on Sunday.
Stating that RFCL works were delayed by three months due to the lockdown, he said that commercial production would start from September with stabilisation in October. “Out of a total of 12.5 lakh metric tonnes of fertilizers produced at the RFCL plant per annum, about 6.25 lakh metric tonnes will be allocated to Telangana,” he said.
Mr. Niranjan Reddy along with Minister for Social Welfare Koppula Eshwar, ZP chairman Putta Madhukar, Ramagundam legislator Korukanti Chander, Peddapalli MLA D. Manohar Reddy, Ramagundam Mayor Anil Kumar, Collector Sikta Patnaik and others visited the RFCL, which was being revived at a cost of ₹6,120.55 crore, to inspect the progress of works on Sunday.
The RFCL officials made a power point presentation on the progress of various stages of work and how it was delayed due to COVID-19. Later, Mr. Niranjan Reddy said that more than 99% works were completed and hoped that the ammonia plant would be completed by July and urea plant by August.
He added that Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao was instrumental in the early completion of RFCL to solve the fertilizer shortage problem. RFCL executive director Rajan Thapar, general manager VK Bangar, DGM (production) SK Jha, chief manager (HR) Somnatha Sanka, Engineers India Limited ED TR Rangarajan, and RCM Sanjay Mishra were also present.
Earlier, the ministers laid the foundation stone for construction of the Rythu Vedika building at Medipalli village of Ramagundam mandal. They also opened a blood donation camp at the government area hospital in Godavarikhani.