Jaipur, April 22 (IANS) Former Rajasthan CM Ashok Gehlot on Wednesday strongly responded to Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma’s recent remarks on the Pachpadra refinery project, stating that the claims made by the Chief Minister are “misleading and factually incorrect”.

Hitting back at the state government, Gehlot alleged that attempts are being made to divert attention from delays in the refinery project as well as the recent accident linked to the project site. He said that the delays were caused during the BJP’s tenure, and that the current “haste” to inaugurate the project led to the incident. He further pointed out that even two days after the accident, no official clarification has been issued regarding the exact cause of the incident.

Refuting the Chief Minister’s statement that the Prime Minister ensured a 26 per cent stake for the Rajasthan government in the refinery, Gehlot said that this claim is entirely incorrect and misleading. He clarified that the state government’s 26 per cent equity participation has existed since the foundation stone of the project was laid in 2013.

Gehlot explained that the refinery at Pachpadra was approved by the Government of India and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL) on the condition that the Rajasthan government would hold a 26 per cent stake in the project. He noted that typically, state governments do not invest equity in refinery projects, as such ventures often operate under fluctuating profitability and market-linked risks.

He said that oil companies generally manage multiple refineries and balance losses and profits across their operations, which reduces risk exposure at the project level.

However, due to this specific condition attached to the Pachpadra refinery project, the Rajasthan government had to take on the equity stake as part of the approval framework.

Taking a swipe at the BJP, Gehlot said that such statements reflect a lack of basic understanding of how refinery projects function and are structured.

“These remarks show they do not even understand the fundamentals,” he said.

On allegations of corruption related to the refinery project, Gehlot questioned why no action has been taken so far despite repeated claims by the BJP.

He pointed out that the BJP has been in power at the Centre for over a decade and in the state for more than two years.

“If there were any irregularities, why has no concrete action been taken?” he asked.

Gehlot maintained that facts should not be distorted for political purposes and called for transparency and accountability regarding the recent incident linked to the refinery project.

Chief Minister Sharma earlier in the day alleged that the previous Congress government had delayed the project for years, adding that it was the Prime Minister who revived it in 2018 and accelerated its progress.

The Chief Minister also targeted former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot, accusing his government of irregularities linked to the refinery project.

Sharma claimed that the public is aware of the alleged scams and controversial land deals during that period and asserted that the truth about the project has already been exposed before the people.

–IANS

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