Hyderabad : After the `Fab project success', the State Government is now eyeing the public sector mega chemical complex planned by the Centre.

The State's chances of securing the complex got a boost as the latest reports confirm that at least 20 per cent of the oil find in Krishna-Godavari basin, over which the Reliance Industries and Gujarat State Petrochemical Company (GSPC) are sitting pretty, is of petrochemical grade.

It means that the gas has to be processed in State itself and this finding makes its case as the location for the chemical complex all the more stronger. The Centre is planning to come up with the chemical complex at an investment of Rs.20,000 crores.

Unlike the Fab project, where it had to compete with States like Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, the Government is now faced with a tougher competitor like West Bengal. The latter, which already boasts of a chemical complex in Haldia, is leaving nothing to chance.

Land allocation plan

Sources said Chief Secretary T.K. Diwan will visit New Delhi this week to step up the efforts.

The State Government is planning to allocate land for the chemical complex near Visakhapatnam. Out of the nearly 50 million cubic metres of gas per day available in the basin now nearly 80 per cent is of methane grade and is useful for establishing power and fertilizer industries.

Preparations

The rest, as is now confirmed, is of petrochemical grade lending itself to the possibility of establishing natural gas cracker unit on the coast.

Hence, alternatively, the Government can even bargain for at least part establishment of the unit here if the going gets tougher, say sources.

D.A. Somayajulu, Adviser to the State Government on Economic Affairs and Policy Implementation, said: "we are sparing no effort in this regard. Meticulous work has gone into the preparations. Apart from private sector units, we need the public sector industry too to boost our job opportunities further with their spin off effect."

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