Chemicals-Not Competitive

sion, from the stage of adaptation of technology, design, and engineering, to procurement and execution. In fact, it has last year taken on consultancy work for a private firm. Secondly, the Fertiliser Corporation is one of the few public sector undertakings that is not in the red. In 1970-71, it made a net profit of Rs 1,7 crores after providing for depreciation. The Nangal, Gorakhpur and Trombay units were mostly responsible for keeping the Corporation out of the red. Their joint 'profit' (as chairman Sethna calls it), of Rs 4.69 crores, was diminished by the Rs 3.02-crore loss made by Sindri and Namrup. This despite the fact that because of the severe power cut by the Bhakra authorities. Nangal produced 32 per cent less than in 1969-70 when it had crossed its rated capacity. Gorakhpur's operations too were handicapped by irregular power supply and higher cost of raw materials. Significantly, Trombay seems to have surmounted its technical difficulties and Sethna expresses hope of even better performance by it in future. Namrup's difficulties are claimed to be those of uneconomic size and wrong location, though it did produce marginally more in 1970-71. Sindri is 'ageing' being very much the oldest plant, dating back to 1951, though 'corrective' action is under way.