DIBRUGARH, March 19 � The Gas Cracker Project at Lepetkata near here will employ about 12,000 workers for construction activities during the peak construction stage, Union Secretary for Chemicals and Petrochemicals, Bijoy Chatterjee told reporters here at a news conference today. He said this is more than double the number of workers presently working at the project site.
Chatterjee expressed satisfaction with the progress of the works in the project and stated that thirteen per cent physical progress was achieved till date. However, according to the original roadmap, twenty-three per cent work should have been completed on the project by now.
Assam Chief Secretary PC Sharma who was present at the meeting expressed hope that the Gas Cracker project being set up by BCPL would provide direct employment to 700 people and indirect employment to about one lakh people. About 500 downstream industries are also expected. Currently 4,786 workers comprising skilled, semi-skilled and unskilled personnel are engaged in the multi-crore rupee project. Moreover, thirty-five graduate trainee engineers and executive trainees, mostly from north east have so far been absorbed in BCPL.
During the press briefing, BCPL Chairman BC Tripathi disclosed that civil and structural works for the ethylene cracker unit, poly ethylene unit, poly propylene unit, C2+ extraction unit, gas dehydration unit and gas sweetening unit had commenced. He also said that site grading, construction of roads, drainage system, culverts, boundary walls, piling jobs, development of BCPL and CISF townships was going on in full swing. He also informed that an amount of Rs 630 crore was spent till March 15, 2010. The total expenditure planned for the financial year 2010-11 is Rs 2272.32 crore. The scheduled date of completion of the Rs 5460 crore Gas Cracker Project is April 2012.
The Assam Chief Secretary today gave a patient hearing to representatives of several local organisations, who complained bitterly about the alleged �anti-Assamese attitude� of BCPL and Engineers India Limited (EIL) officials. The leaders of the local organisations also demanded more job and contract opportunities for locals. They also demanded of the Assam government steps to bring to a halt to �persecution of locals�. The Chief Secretary assured to look into the grievances, according to Sasanka Neog, district general secretary of the Asom Gana Parishad here.
