Jaipur, July 4 (IANS) Ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Rajasthan, a fresh war of words erupted between former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot and incumbent Chief Minister Bhajanlal Sharma over the history and credit for the Pachpadra Refinery in Balotra district, just hours before its inauguration.

The dispute sparked widespread discussion across political circles and social media. The controversy began after Chief Minister Sharma reportedly stated that the foundation stone for the Pachpadra Refinery was laid by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in 2018.

Responding to the claim, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot described the statement as factually incorrect and unfortunate. He said it was concerning that the head of the state was allegedly unaware of the history of one of Rajasthan’s major development projects.

To support his statement, Gehlot shared photographs on social media from what he said was the refinery’s original foundation-laying ceremony in 2013. According to him, the event was attended by then UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and former Union Petroleum Minister M. Veerappa Moily.

Gehlot asserted that these photographs and official records demonstrate that the project was formally launched during the Congress government.

Criticising the BJP governments at both the state and Centre, Gehlot alleged that after work commenced in 2013, the project remained largely stalled for nearly five years following the change in government.

According to Gehlot, the delay caused the project’s estimated cost to rise from around Rs 37,000 crore to nearly Rs 80,000 crore, resulting in significant financial implications for the state.

Gehlot also highlighted the challenges involved in establishing what he described as the country’s first integrated greenfield refinery-cum-petrochemical complex in a desert state. He said that state governments typically do not hold an equity stake in refinery projects.

However, he claimed that the then Congress government successfully negotiated a 26 per cent stake for Rajasthan before convincing Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) to invest in the project. This, he said, enabled the formation of the joint venture HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL).

Concluding his remarks, Gehlot urged Chief Minister Sharma to refer to official files, records, and documents available with the state administration and Secretariat before making public statements about the project.

He said doing so would help ensure that accurate information reaches the public and prevent historical facts from being misrepresented.

–IANS

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