Peddapalli MP seeks independent review of RFCL shutdowns, Noida office shift

Peddapalli MP Gaddam Vamsi Krishna has asked the Union Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers to commission an independent technical review of the recurring shutdowns at Ramagundam Fertilizers and Chemicals Limited (RFCL), and to relocate the company's corporate office from Noida to Peddapalli.

The request was made in a memorandum submitted to Union Minister Jagat Prakash Nadda on Tuesday. The MP said the plant was brought back to life with the aim of producing urea nearer to the farmers it serves, but that repeated interruptions in production — including a fresh shutdown reported this week — have cast doubt on its ability to maintain a dependable supply of the fertiliser.

Mr. Vamsi Krishna recalled the role played by his grandfather, the late Gaddam Venkataswamy, and his father, Dr. G. Vivek Venkataswamy, in the revival of the Ramagundam unit. He noted that in 2013 the then UPA government cleared a waiver of more than ₹10,000 crore in loans and interest for the Fertilizer Corporation of India Limited as a whole, a step that helped remove hurdles in the way of reviving its closed units, Ramagundam among them.

The MP said that revival must now be reflected in steady urea production for Telangana and for the country at large. Pointing to recent reports that RFCL's output had dropped to roughly 70% of its capacity, he asked the Ministry to make month-wise production and shutdown figures public so that farmers can track the plant's status.

He argued that farmers in Telangana stand to lose when a facility built to serve them is unable to produce reliably. He also pressed for a time-bound plan to bring the plant back to safe and sustained full-capacity operation, along with adequate and timely allocation of RFCL urea to Telangana.