Fertilizer units revival now on CCEA radar

The fate of the revival of six state-run fertilizer units now rests with the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs (CCEA), which is expected to consider the proposal soon. Last month, the Empowered Committee of Secretaries (ECoS) had approved the revenue-sharing model for reviving the units of the Fertiliser Corporation of India (FCIL) and Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation.

The revenue-sharing model was also taken up by the Board for Reconstruction of Public Sector Enterprises (BRPSE) this month and a consensus seems to have been reached that the sick fertiliser units should be revived through public private partnership (PPP).

Notably, the fertilizer ministry had asked the same formula for reviving the sick units yesterday. The ECoS is learnt to have appointed Deloitte as a project adviser for implementing the revival plan.

The revival plan of the sick units has come a long way since the NDA government had decided to close about nine FCIL and HFCL units on finding them unviable, but the UPA government wants to revive these facilities based on the recommendations of BRPSE.