Working to make BCPL sustainable without government aid: Himanta

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Tuesday said his administration was working on a permanent solution to make Brahmaputra Cracker and Polymer Limited (BCPL) sustainable without government aid. “There are many challenges in this path and we are discussing them,” Sharma said at a press conference here. BCPL is the largest petrochemical complex in the Northeast. BCPL, under the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, was commissioned in January 2016. The plant produces various grades of high-quality polymers across the country. Its major shareholder company GAIL (India) Limited is marketing its products. The Chief Minister said BCPL had sought land in Paradip, Odisha for its use and the state government is trying for it. He said, “We are in talks with a group to manufacture finished products here as this will strengthen the industry.” The Chief Minister said that if government aid is not received, the project will be closed. He said, “Both the central and state governments are helping now. But we have to think of a permanent solution.” Located in Lepetkata in Dibrugarh, the project is a result of the Assam Accord of 1985, which aims to bring about socio-economic development in the entire northeastern region.