AGARTALA, Feb 21 (TIWN):Project site for a proposed gas based Urea fertilizer plant hasn’t been finalized yet, however some sites have been selected at North Tripura and Unakoti districts have been instructed to propose further sites for the project, Industries and Commerce Minister Tapan Chakraborty said here Friday.

Replying to queries raised by MLA Samir Deb  Sarkar , the minister stated  that a technical team of the Tata Consultancy Services (TCS) has already surveyed  some sites and submitted it ONGC. The project is initially estimated to have a financial involvement of Rs. 5,000 crores. ONGC, Chambal Fertilizers and Tripura Government signed a MoU for the project some  9 April, 2013.

Though technical consultants initially stated that 5,000 acre of land would be required for the project, it has been considerably reduced to a humble 800 acre now. However, appropriate land plot is not easy to find since constant water flow, easy accessibility and several other conditions are required for an industrial site beside mere availability of gas.

The supply of gas to the plant site would be made available from newly discovered Khubal well in the area. However experts are yet to find out a regular source to bring in water to the plant site. But ONGC would carry out more exploration  in the area  during fiscal  year 2015 -16 and 2016 -17.