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The NRL (Numaligarh Refinery Limited) has been conferred with the 'Navratna Status' by the central ministry, which is hailed as a proud moment for Assam. CM Himanta Biswa Sarma has expressed gratitude to PM Narendra Modi for this act.
Jorhat MP Gaurav Gogoi has also welcomed the move. However, he reiterated the recent history. Taking to his Facebook, MP Gogoi said that on 20th December, 2022, during zero hour of the Lok Sabha, he raised the issue. "I demanded that the NRL should be upgraded from Mini Ratna status to Navratna on that day"-Gogoi wrote in his post.
Gogoi added that he wanted a clarification from the government regarding the status of the demand, to which the petroleum ministry responded that the demand was actively scrutinised. "For many years, the employees and well-wishers of NRL have been working seamlessly for the betterment of NRL, and after so many years, their hard work has earned a new glory. This makes me happy,"--Gogoi wrote.
The NRL was established as a part of the historic Assam Accord signed in 1985, and this accounts for the emotional attachment of the people of the state with the refinery. Situated at Numaligarh in Golaghat district, NRL also does extremely well in earnings.
"In 2021, its profit after tax was ₹ 3,563 crore, and it ranked 18th among all central Public sector enterprises. Therefore, I request that the Department of Public Enterprise consider elevating the status of Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) to Navratna,"-Gogoi remarked in Lok Sabha today.
"Based on recent studies and global events, all oil fields and Refineries in the Northeast must be protected from external cyber attacks and armed threats. The Russia-Ukraine conflict demonstrated that proxy forces often target critical energy infrastructure first. Considering the strategic challenges we face from China, I strongly urge that all static oil fields and Refineries in the Northeast be given adequate protection, including enhanced cyber-defence measures and support from the Indian Armed Forces,"--Gogoi said.
Also Read: SIR Row: Gaurav Gogoi Accuses BJP of “Taking Parliament for Granted”