The announcement of a 12 lakh MT Urea factory in Namrup, will be the next big game changer for the State, says CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
GUWAHATI: The Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) has strongly criticised Union Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman for her announcement regarding a new unit at the Namrup Fertilizer Plant in Assam, questioning the sincerity of the proposal due to the lack of budgetary allocation while the Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma described the announcement as a “game changer” for the state.
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In a press statement issued today, AJP President Lurinjyoti Gogoi and General Secretary Jagadish Bhuyan stated, “The Finance Minister, in her budget speech, announced the establishment of a new unit in Namrup with an annual production capacity of 12.7 lakh metric tonnes of urea. However, it is unclear whether this refers to the previously announced fourth unit or an entirely new proposal. Moreover, no specific budgetary allocation has been mentioned, raising doubts about the seriousness of the claim.”
They further pointed out that a budget speech is meant to allocate funds, but the Finance Minister made no such provision for the fourth unit at Namrup. “This is not the first time such an announcement has been made. In 2017, then Union Minister for Commerce and Industry Suresh Prabhu, in 2020, Union Fertilizer Minister Sadananda Gowda, and in 2021, Union Fertilizer Minister Mansukh Mandaviya all announced the establishment of the fourth unit at Namrup. Yet, no progress has been made. Without a budget allocation, how realistic is this proposal?”
AJP leaders Gogoi and Bhuyan further criticised the Union Budget 2025, calling it disappointing, unoriginal, and failing to address the economic concerns of ordinary Indians. They argued that the budget exposes the worsening economic distress in the country, as the government lacks concrete policies to strengthen financial stability.
"Even today, 80 crore people in India rely on free ration, which reflects the severe poverty in the country. Yet, this budget offers no substantial policies for poverty eradication," the statement read.
AJP alleged that the budget was Bihar-centric, aimed at securing BJP’s electoral interests rather than serving the welfare of the general public. The Centre announced several projects and schemes for Bihar, while offering nothing significant for Assam apart from an ambiguous statement on the Namrup Fertilizer Plant.
The party also criticized the government for burdening the nation with debt while failing to announce production-driven economic policies. Gogoi and Bhuyan remarked, “The people of India were expecting a budget that would boost employment, industry, and economic growth, but this budget offers none of that. The Finance Minister did not even mention the Northeast in her speech, which is deeply disappointing.”
AJP also pointed out the absence of social justice policies, employment plans, and relief for the poor and middle class in the budget. Instead, they accused the government of strengthening the Public-Private Partnership (PPP) model to benefit corporate giants, while promoting privatization of public assets.
"This budget proves that the government has no clear, scientific policy to address India's fundamental economic challenges. It is merely a rehashed version of previous budgets, lacking vision for real economic transformation," Gogoi and Bhuyan concluded.
Meanwhile the Assam Chief Minister Himanta biswa Sarma said, “The announcement of a 12 lakh MT Urea factory in Namrup, will be the next big game changer for the State, after the Jagiroad Semiconductor facility. The approximately ₹10,000 cr investment will allow Assam to channelise its natural gas resources into fertiliser manufacturing and help reduce India's dependency on import of this key agricultural input. Needless to say, this factory also brings with it a significant number of Jobs and export potential to the State.”
