Latest news with #HimantaBiswaSarma
Time of India
9 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Oil breakthrough: Assam to become the first state government in India to produce and profit from crude
Assam is set to become the first state government in India to take a direct role in oil production, marking a significant turning point in the country's energy sector. The move follows a hydrocarbon discovery in the Namrup Borhat-1 well, located in the Dibrugarh district, a project in which the Assam government holds a 'significant stake' alongside Oil India Limited (OIL). Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the development a 'major step forward in energy security and economic resilience.' In a post on X, he declared, 'This discovery makes Assam the first state govt to be a direct oil producer, makes exploration efforts successful, empowers Assam with revenue & royalty, and ensures steady availability of energy for the country.' He also described it as a 'proud moment' for the state. Assam's role in oil is no longer passive For decades, Assam has played a key role in India's oil story. Home to the country's first oil well at Digboi, it has long been a vital source of crude. Decades on, it remains a heavyweight in domestic crude production. In 2023–24, the state produced 4,361 thousand metric tonnes (TMT) of crude oil, ranking third after Rajasthan and Gujarat, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas . Over the past three financial years (2021–22 to 2023–24), India's total crude oil output stood at 88,223 TMT. Assam's contribution was 12,518 TMT, making it one of the top onshore producers. Rajasthan led with 15,380 TMT, followed by Gujarat with 14,425 TMT. Tamil Nadu (985 TMT), Andhra Pradesh (688 TMT), Arunachal Pradesh (147 TMT), and West Bengal (a negligible 0.06 TMT) followed at a distance. Offshore production, meanwhile, dominated the landscape with 44,078 TMT over the same period. Until now, Assam's role had been limited to supplying resources and collecting royalties. But with its new direct stake in upstream oil operations, the state is no longer just a crude supplier, it's a partner in production, entitled to a share of both revenue and risk. Understanding the "significant stake" "Oil India Limited has discovered hydrocarbon presence in Namrup Borhat-1 well, a well where Govt of Assam holds a significant stake," the Chief Minister posted on X. While the state government hasn't disclosed the exact size of its stake in the Namrup Borhat-1 well, a December 2020 Economic Times report offers a likely clue. It refers to a memorandum of understanding signed between Oil India Limited (OIL) and the Assam Hydrocarbon and Energy Company Limited (AHECL), a state-owned entity. Under that agreement, AHECL was granted a 10% participating interest in the Namrup Block, which spans 125 square kilometres. Since the Borhat-1 discovery falls within that block, it's reasonable to assume that Assam, through AHECL, holds the same 10% stake in the well. That's more than symbolic ownership. A participating interest gives Assam a share in both the risks and revenues of exploration and production, earnings from crude oil sales, not just royalties or taxes. However, Economic Times could not independently verify the precise shareholding structure specific to the Borhat-1 well. Investing, not just facilitating This isn't the only example of the state building long-term equity positions in the energy sector. In April 2023, the Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), also state-owned, signed a joint venture agreement with OIL to roll out city gas distribution networks in parts of Assam and Tripura. The JV company is majority-owned by AGCL with a 51% stake, while OIL holds the remaining 49%. The plan includes laying pipelines, setting up CNG stations, and supplying piped gas to homes and businesses in districts like Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Udalguri, Sonitpur, Biswanath Chariali, and select parts of Tripura. With an authorised capital of ₹500 crore and an initial paid-up capital of ₹100 crore, the Chief Minister described the venture as a milestone that will help strengthen the state's economy. Additionally, in December 2024, the state cabinet cleared a 40% equity stake in the Namrup-IV Fertilizer Plant, part of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL). It's another example of the state stepping in not just as a facilitator, but as a co-owner with skin in the game.
Time of India
11 hours ago
- Business
- Time of India
Oil breakthrough: Assam to become the first state government in India to produce and profit from crude
Assam is set to become the first state government in India to take a direct role in oil production, marking a significant turning point in the country's energy sector. The move follows a hydrocarbon discovery in the Namrup Borhat-1 well, located in the Dibrugarh district, a project in which the Assam government holds a 'significant stake' alongside Oil India Limited (OIL). Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma called the development a 'major step forward in energy security and economic resilience.' In a post on X, he declared, 'This discovery makes Assam the first state govt to be a direct oil producer, makes exploration efforts successful, empowers Assam with revenue & royalty, and ensures steady availability of energy for the country.' He also described it as a 'proud moment' for the state. Assam's role in oil is no longer passive For decades, Assam has played a key role in India's oil story. Home to the country's first oil well at Digboi, it has long been a vital source of crude. Decades on, it remains a heavyweight in domestic crude production. In 2023–24, the state produced 4,361 thousand metric tonnes (TMT) of crude oil, ranking third after Rajasthan and Gujarat, according to the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas . Over the past three financial years (2021–22 to 2023–24), India's total crude oil output stood at 88,223 TMT. Assam's contribution was 12,518 TMT, making it one of the top onshore producers. Rajasthan led with 15,380 TMT, followed by Gujarat with 14,425 TMT. Tamil Nadu (985 TMT), Andhra Pradesh (688 TMT), Arunachal Pradesh (147 TMT), and West Bengal (a negligible 0.06 TMT) followed at a distance. Offshore production, meanwhile, dominated the landscape with 44,078 TMT over the same period. Until now, Assam's role had been limited to supplying resources and collecting royalties. But with its new direct stake in upstream oil operations, the state is no longer just a crude supplier, it's a partner in production, entitled to a share of both revenue and risk. Understanding the "significant stake" "Oil India Limited has discovered hydrocarbon presence in Namrup Borhat-1 well, a well where Govt of Assam holds a significant stake," the Chief Minister posted on X. While the state government hasn't disclosed the exact size of its stake in the Namrup Borhat-1 well, a December 2020 Economic Times report offers a likely clue. It refers to a memorandum of understanding signed between Oil India Limited (OIL) and the Assam Hydrocarbon and Energy Company Limited (AHECL), a state-owned entity. Under that agreement, AHECL was granted a 10% participating interest in the Namrup Block, which spans 125 square kilometres. Since the Borhat-1 discovery falls within that block, it's reasonable to assume that Assam, through AHECL, holds the same 10% stake in the well. That's more than symbolic ownership. A participating interest gives Assam a share in both the risks and revenues of exploration and production, earnings from crude oil sales, not just royalties or taxes. However, Economic Times could not independently verify the precise shareholding structure specific to the Borhat-1 well. Investing, not just facilitating This isn't the only example of the state building long-term equity positions in the energy sector. In April 2023, the Assam Gas Company Limited (AGCL), also state-owned, signed a joint venture agreement with OIL to roll out city gas distribution networks in parts of Assam and Tripura. The JV company is majority-owned by AGCL with a 51% stake, while OIL holds the remaining 49%. The plan includes laying pipelines, setting up CNG stations, and supplying piped gas to homes and businesses in districts like Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Darrang, Udalguri, Sonitpur, Biswanath Chariali, and select parts of Tripura. With an authorised capital of ₹500 crore and an initial paid-up capital of ₹100 crore, the Chief Minister described the venture as a milestone that will help strengthen the state's economy. Additionally, in December 2024, the state cabinet cleared a 40% equity stake in the Namrup-IV Fertilizer Plant, part of the Brahmaputra Valley Fertilizer Corporation Limited (BVFCL). It's another example of the state stepping in not just as a facilitator, but as a co-owner with skin in the game.
Scroll.in
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Scroll.in
Jharkhand: Two suspected Maoists, one CRPF member killed in gunfight in Bokaro
Two suspected Maoists were killed on Wednesday in a gunfight with security forces in Jharkhand's Bokaro district, PTI reported. A Central Reserve Police Force member was also killed in the exchange of fire, Bokaro Zone Inspector General of Police Kranthi Kumar Gadidesi told the news agency. Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma identified the CRPF member as Parneswar Koch from the state's Kokrajhar district, and paid tributes to him. The gunfight between the suspected Maoists and the police and the Central Reserve Police Force's Commando Battalion for Resolute Action, or the CoBRA unit, took place about 5.30 am in the Birhordera forest in the Gomia police station area, the Hindustan Times reported. Superintendent of Police Harvinder Singh said that the operation was still on. The gunfight took place in the Lugu Pahar region, which is a known Maoist stronghold, based on a tip-off about the movement of suspected Maoists, according to the Hindustan Times. This year, 21 suspected Maoists have been killed across Jharkhand in 14 gunfights with security forces , The New Indian Express reported In the Bastar region of neighbouring Chhattisgarh, more than 400 suspected Maoists had been killed in 2024-'25, Chhattisgarh chief minister Vishnu Deo Sai had said in June. In 2024, 217 suspected Maoists were killed by security forces across Chhattisgarh. Malini Subramaniam has reported for Scroll that while many of those killed in Chhattisgarh's Bastar region in 2024 were declared by the police to be reward-carrying Maoists, several families dispute the claim. The families claim that the persons killed were civilians. The Union government has repeatedly vowed to end Maoism by March 31, 2026.
Indian Express
12 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Voter list revision not a solution to demographic change in Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma says
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that concerns over demographic changes in Assam cannot be addressed by 'legal' steps such as voter list revision and a National Register of Citizens (NRC), emphasising that 'indigenous solutions' are required instead. As reported by The Indian Express, after the Election Commission of India last month announced a nationwide intensive revision of electoral rolls starting with Bihar, the Assam government requested that the NRC, which has been in limbo since 2019, be factored as one of the admissible documents for the SIR once it is finalised. If this request is accepted, it could effectively mean a delay in the state's SIR. While the NRC exercise was meant to address decades of demographic anxieties in Assam by identifying Indian citizens and distinguishing them from illegal immigrants, the draft NRC published in 2019 drew criticism from many quarters, including from the Assam government. It had excluded 19.6 lakh people from among 3.3 crore applicants, and the Assam government has maintained that the inclusions and exclusions in it are erroneous. The government claims that it excludes 'indigenous people' while including large numbers of 'foreigners.' Since 2019, it has pressed for sample reverification of the NRC. Sarma frequently voices his lack of confidence in the NRC exercise that was carried out, and on Tuesday, he said that he does not believe either an NRC or a voter list revision are an adequate response to 'demographic invasion.' He alleged that Middle and Lower Assam, where Bengali-origin Muslims are concentrated, have been subjected to 'demographic invasion' and that Upper Assam is under threat of similar changes. 'Demography is a social science concept. It is not a legal concept. If you tell the court that demographic change is happening, the court will say 'so what'? They are all Indian… This is an invasion on culture, civilisation, tradition. The reply to that cannot be given by NRC and voter list revision. If people from Dhing, Lahorighat (places in Central Assam with a large Bengali-Muslim population) try to come to Jorhat, what will the appropriate reply be? The local people will not give them land, the government will not let them settle on government land, and then demography will not be invaded. And our people will work themselves. If these three things are done, demographic change will halt. What will be the need for NRC?' he said. He claimed that the NRC in Assam failed because of 'a lack of a mechanism' to effectively carry it out in border districts. 'We have had NRC here. We don't know what will happen here (regarding voter list revision), but there is no mechanism (to identify foreigners) in South Salmara-Mankachar, Hailakandi (districts bordering Bangladesh). Our problems need an Assamese kind of solution, an indigenous solution…. Some anganwadi worker inside a village, some gaon panchayat secretary had the responsibility of making the NRC for their particular village. How can they call their own relatives in the village foreigners?… Assam's problem cannot be compared to that in any other state; it has to be improvised as we keep battling them,' he said. Citing an example of Uriamghat in Upper Assam's Golaghat district, which he alleges is seeing Bengali-origin Muslims from Middle Assam settling, he said, 'The answer to demographic invasion cannot be NRC because they have land patta, names in voter list, Aadhar cards, ration cards in Dhing and Lahorighat. In the voter list revision in Uriamghat, they will say we are Indian citizens, put our names in the voter list in Uriamghat. How can you stop?… If I take one lakh people from Assam to a UP constituency, the UP government cannot deny adding them to the voter list because they are bonafide Indian citizens.'
Indian Express
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Indian Express
Missed demographic invasion in lower and middle Assam, won't let it repeat in upper Assam: Himanta's rationale for mass evictions
As eviction drives intensify in Assam, the state government on Tuesday said it has conducted evictions on 160 sq km of land affecting around 50,000 people in the last four years, with Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma saying that one of the aims is to stem 'demographic invasion' by 'people of one religion.' In the past month, the Assam government has conducted five major evictions across four districts in which at least 3,300 families have been removed from forest land, grazing land and government revenue land. On Wednesday, Sarma referred to 'land jihad' and said that 'an effort has started to change the demography of Upper Assam.' He said that ever since his government came to power in 2021, it has conducted evictions to clear over 1.19 lakh bighas of land. The highest area is of forest land at 84,743 bighas, VGR/PGR (grazing land) accounts for over 36,000 bighas, 'khas' or general government land is 26,713 bighas, and land belonging to religious institutions is 4,449 bighas. Saying that around 50,000 people have been evicted, Himanta added that district administrations have been tasked with striking off the affected individuals' names from the voter list of the place from which they were evicted. The aim, he said, is to 'protect Assamese constituencies.' 'They have their name in the (voter list of their) original village. You cannot have names in two places. Once they are evicted and the houses are gone, the DCs have to remove the names from the voter lists. Our job is to protect the Assamese constituency or the local indigenous constituency… Almost 50,000 people have been evicted so far, but their names will be there somewhere in the voter list in Assam. Their names will not be cut from the Assam voter list provided they are Indian or proper citizens, but the duplication will be cut off,' he said. He referred to an eviction drive held earlier this month in Lakhimpur district – an Upper Assam home to several tribal and ethnic Assamese communities like Mising, Deori and Tai Ahom – in which around 220 families were evicted. He claimed that of those, 64 were found to have migrated from Barpeta, 36 from Nagaon, and the rest from Goalpara, Cachar and South Salmara-Manckachar. 'A conspiracy had started to change the jonogathoni (demography) in Lakhimpur district, which we were able to stop… In the next 20 years, if Assamese people don't obstruct it, there will be encroachment wherever there is forest, and there will be no forest cover, and there will be demographic change. People from South Salmara can go to Bengal instead, where there is better income, and it is just 30-50 km away. But they are going 400 km away to Lakhimpur,' he said. 'After demographic invasion in Lower Assam and Middle Assam, today we are seeing the beginning of demographic invasion in Upper Assam. If we could have seen the demographic invasion of Lower Assam and Middle Assam in the beginning, we probably could have stopped it. But it has become irreversible. Today, a new move has started with Upper Assam. They will go to one constituency, and then to another constituency, and after 20 years, you will see that in every assembly constituency they have a voting of 40,000-45,000. Once they become a political force, the local leadership does not allow any eviction. And consequently, Assamese people lose their identity. We are doing whatever we can to prevent this,' he said.
