Jaipur, July 3 (IANS) Rajasthan’s Leader of Opposition (LoP) Tika Ram Jully on Friday welcomed inauguration of the Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) Rajasthan Refinery at Pachpadra in Balotra and urged the Bharatiya Janata Party-led state government to ensure that local youth from Barmer, Jodhpur, the Marwar region, and across Rajasthan receive priority in employment opportunities generated by the project.

LoP Jully also called for the establishment of a Manmohan Singh Petroleum University in the Barmer region in memory of the former Prime Minister and renowned economist.

He said the proposed institution would provide world-class education and research facilities in the petroleum sector and help prepare skilled professionals from Rajasthan.

He described the refinery as a landmark project for the state and asserted that around 85 per cent of its construction was completed during the tenure of the previous Congress-led state government.

“It is a matter of great pride for the Congress that this refinery was conceptualised during our government and brought close to completion during our tenure,” LoP Jully added.

Highlighting the project’s economic significance, the LoP urged the BJP government to continue and expedite the infrastructure development initiated during the previous Congress-led Rajasthan government.

He stressed the need to build a robust logistics network and supporting infrastructure around the refinery so that local businesses and ancillary industries could fully benefit from the project.

According to LoP Jully, the state government should accelerate efforts to develop a comprehensive industrial ecosystem around the refinery.

Otherwise, Rajasthan’s micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) may not receive the full economic benefits expected from the mega project, the LoP said.

The veteran Congress leader also advocated the creation of a dedicated ecosystem for research and development (R&D) in the petroleum sector.

He said that Rajasthan should aspire to become not only a refining hub but also the country’s leading petroleum knowledge hub by establishing advanced laboratories and research infrastructure.

Besides the proposed Manmohan Singh Petroleum University, the LoP suggested that petroleum-related research facilities should also be developed at technical and engineering institutions across the state.

Such initiatives, Jully said, would equip students from Rajasthan with globally competitive skills and enable them to make significant contributions to India’s petroleum and energy sectors.

–IANS

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