My concern is that in the national interest, as I said, we have to have self-reliance. We have to be self-reliant in the fertilizer sector. The funny argument is that imported fertilizers are sold in India at prices less than our indigenous fertilizers. This argument will hold no water after some time. We have seen this with regard to other things. When they find that our plants are closed down, naturally, the situation will be taken advantage of and there will be a shortfall and a price increase.

MR. SPEAKER: Nothing more will go on record.

(Interruptions)* ...

_____________________________________________________________________________

* Not Recorded.

SHRI BASU DEB ACHARIA : Sir, the mills of Hindustan Fertilizers Limited and Fertilizer Corporation of India are located in the Eastern and in the North-Eastern parts of India, starting from Barauni, Gorakhpur and Durgapur. In the North-East, Namrup in Assam and Talcher in Orissa, all have become sick. Sindri is one of the oldest public sector undertakings. While inaugurating this public sector undertaking in 1952, Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru said:

"I am inaugurating the modern temple of modern India".

Sir, we are importing urea. In 1995-96, we had imported 37.83 lakh tonnes of urea. This year, we have imported Rs.3,047 crore worth of urea. Next year, we will be importing 23.20 lakh tonnes of urea by spending Rs.2,184 crore.

This year, an amount of Rs.2862 crore has been earmarked to import urea. Our indigenous production of urea should be augmented through revival of sick public sector fertilizer companies like Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation, Fertilizer Corporation of India.

The revival proposal was approved by the Government of India on 24-4-1995 with a total investment of Rs.2201 crore with a guaranteed production of 23 lakh tonnes of urea per annum. Now the Government of India proposes to spend more amount for the current year to import urea. Although the proposal was approved by the Government of India earlier, it is quite surprising that on 21-4-1997, a Committee of Secretaries submitted a report totally reversing the proposal which was approved by the Cabinet. The report of CoS also went against the recommendation of the Standing Committee on Petroleum. The Committee of Secretaries recommended that except the two Units, one of Fertilizer Corporation, that is, Sindri modernisation and another at Namrup, all other units should be closed down. The reason put forward by the CoS is that the imported price of urea is less than that of our indigenous urea. It is a conspiracy. The conspiracy is to cripple our fertilizer plants so that we continue to depend on the import of urea from the foreign countries. If all the units, particularly in Eastern India, starting from Gorakhpur to Namrup and Talcher are closed down, the entire Eastern Indian will be affected and our indigenous production will be crippled.

I want to know from the Minister as to when the Government of India approved the revival package, why was it not implemented within one year? Why was the revival package of Durgapur unit of HFC not started and the unit is functioning only for three months in a year? Why have two units of Namrup plant been closed down? Why has it not been implemented? If IFFCO can invest in a new fertilizer plant at Mangalore, when it has got the surplus fund to invest in a new plant at Mangalore, why can that fund not be utilised for revival of plants at Durgapur, Talcher, Namrup and Barauni also? What is the fate of Haldia Fertilizer unit? The construction of the unit was completed in 1986. At least, four or five committees were appointed to look into the matter. All the committees recommended for its revival. But the Government of India slept over the matter for these 11 years. It did not take any decision either to revive it or to do something with such a huge fertilizer complex unit. May I know from the Minister whether he will take proper steps to re-start the production of Haldia Fertilizer Company of HFC?

Sir, IDPL is a premier drug and pharmaceutical company of our country. It has supplied drugs to the common people of our country and this company has made our country self-sufficient in the manufacturing of essential drugs. Why has this company suddenly fallen sick? It is because of mismanagement, and that too because of the policy of the Government. When the country was opened, the policy of liberalisation was adopted and the multinational companies were being invited, the prices of drugs were being increased, the common man has to purchase drugs at a higher price.

All the reports of the Standing Committee recommended for its revival. This Tenth Report of the Standing Committee has very categorically said that it must be revived. A company which is not an expert in drugs and pharmaceuticals, Fergusson & Co., was appointed to examine the viability of this company and they submitted a report. Their recommendation is that more than 7,000 workers are to be retrenched.

All the unions related to this have come together and have prepared a revival package. Today at 5 o'clock, they will be submitting their report. A Cabinet Committee has been constituted and they have suggested that with less investment and by selling the surplus land, this company can be revived without retrenchment of the work force.

The hon. Minister has stated that the Government is considering this. I want a categorical reply from the hon. Minister whether the Government will consider the revival package submitted by all the trade unions along with the management and whether it will try to see that all the units of the IDPL are revived. I would also like to have a categorical reply from the hon. Minister that the salaries which have not been paid for quite long will be paid to the workers regularly.

Only yesterday the salaries were released. We do not want that idle wages be paid to the workers but we want that the production is started without any delay. The hon. Minister should assure the House on two very important public sector undertakings of this country.

SHRI HARADHAN ROY : Sir, I am not satisfied with the reply of the hon. Minister. It is a fact that import of urea, valued at Rs.2184 crore during 1996-97 has been enhanced for the year 1997-98 to the tune of Rs.2,862 crore. It is a fallacy that India being an agricultural country, is becoming dependent more and more on multinationals, thanks to the IMF, World Bank diktat.

This too is against the public sector fertilizer plants that we have built for the last so many years with a motive of becoming self-reliant, at least in this sector. It has been deliberately made sick due to the wrong policy of the Government. The revival package for Hindustan Fertilizer Corporation and Fertilizer Corporation of India were approved in principle three years back in 1995 with a fresh investment of Rs.2201 crore.

The Report containing the recommendations was also presented by the Standing Committee on Petroleum and Chemicals to Parliament on 13.4.1997. I would like to have the replies to the following queries.

What is the reason behind abnormal delay in finalising the revival plans of FCI and FCI units? This delay has resulted in increase of cost from Rs.2,200 crore in 1992 - when the units were declared sick - to Rs.3,500 crore when the revival plans were approved by the Government in 1995.

Sir, the Committee of Secretaries have reversed the decision of the Government in their meeting held on 21.4.1997. I would like to know how the Committee of Secretaries could reverse the decision of the Government when their only function is to implement the recommendations and decisions.

I would also like to know whether the Government is going to implement the decision already taken for revival of the fertilizer plants. If so, when?

As regards IDPL, I share the views expressed by Shri Panigrahi and Shri Basu Deb Acharia and I am not adding anything in this respect.