Rajasthan gears up for a high-profile visit by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21 in Balotra. The centerpiece of the trip is the inauguration of the Pachpadra Refinery, prompting Chief Minister Bhajan Lal Sharma to conduct a thorough on-site inspection on Monday.
According to CMO sources, Sharma’s midday visit will focus on scrutinizing the refinery’s development status, robust security protocols, arrangements for the public rally, helipad readiness, and overall event logistics. Senior bureaucrats, including Chief Secretary V. Srinivas and DGP Rajiv Sharma, will join the chief minister for this critical assessment.
Modi’s Rajasthan itinerary has been active lately—this will be his second visit in two months. Back on February 28, he energized Ajmer by inaugurating projects exceeding Rs 16,000 crore and distributing job offers to over 21,000 youth at Kayad Dham.
Conceived in 2013 under Congress rule with Sonia Gandhi laying the foundation amid an initial Rs 37,230 crore budget, Pachpadra faced prolonged hurdles. PM Modi breathed new life into it in 2018, upping the budget to Rs 43,129 crore. Subsequent governments saw costs balloon to Rs 72,937 crore by mid-2023, now finalized at Rs 79,459 crore under the BJP dispensation, eyeing a 2025 finish.
This HPCL-Rajasthan JV project redefines modern refining with BS-6 compliance, integrated refinery-petrochem operations, and an eco-friendly zero-liquid discharge mechanism that recycles all process wastewater.
The plant’s 9 MMTPA crude processing and 2 MMTPA petrochemical output will rely on Gulf imports for 7.5 million tonnes and local supply for the rest. At nearly Rs 80,000 crore, it’s poised to generate massive employment and catalyze industrial growth, positioning Rajasthan as a petrochemical powerhouse.
