JAIPUR: Senior Congress leader Ashok Gehlot on Monday slammed the BJP dispensation in Rajasthan over the “slow” pace of the Pachpadra refinery project in Barmer district and asked why the work was lagging despite a “double-engine” government being in place.
Following the high-profile visit and bold claims, former Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launched a sharp attack on the BJP government, alleging intentional delays and unprecedented cost escalation in the prestigious project.
Speaking to the media on Monday, Gehlot pointed out that the BJP government itself had stated in its 2025–26 budget (announcement no. 158) that the Pachpadra-Balotra refinery would begin production in August 2025. “Yet, despite the CM and Union Minister visiting the site, their statements, and even the official press release, made no mention of a production timeline. This silence is sowing doubt in the public’s mind,” Gehlot said.
The Congress leader claimed that despite the COVID-19 pandemic, his administration had accelerated work on the project, completing more than 80% of the refinery. He accused the BJP of repeatedly stalling progress, first between 2013 and 2018, and again post-2023, which he said had pushed costs from the original ₹37,000 crore to nearly ₹1 lakh crore.
Gehlot further argued that had the BJP not halted the project after assuming power in 2013, the cost escalation could have been avoided. “People are rightly asking why work is still dragging despite the so-called double-engine government,” he said.
It is worth recalling that the original foundation stone was laid in 2013 by UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi, with an estimated cost of ₹37,000 crore. In 2018, Prime Minister Narendra Modi re-laid the foundation stone, by which time the cost had risen to ₹43,000 crore, with a target completion date set for the end of 2022. That deadline was missed, and by 2024, the estimated cost had ballooned to ₹72,000 crore. Currently, while some units are reportedly 90–98% complete, others remain under construction. Officials now aim to commission the plant by March–April 2026.
A fresh controversy erupted following a post by Union Petroleum Minister Hardeep Singh Puri on social media platform X, where he mistakenly referred to the refinery as being in Jodhpur instead of Pachpadra in Balotra district. Leader of Opposition Tikaram Jully reacted sharply, posting: “This shows how serious the BJP’s double-engine government is about the Pachpadra refinery. The Union Minister doesn’t even know its location, let alone the production timeline.”
Despite the ongoing political tussle, officials maintain that the project is progressing steadily. Petroleum Director Ajay Sharma recently stated that the refinery—a joint venture between the Rajasthan government and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (HPCL), is expected to be fully operational within six months, with partial operations, including crude oil refining, likely to begin by December.
According to Sharma, 90% of the project work has already been completed. The Rajasthan government holds a 26% stake, while HPCL owns the remaining 74%. Once operational, the refinery is expected to generate an additional ₹4,000 crore annually for the state through VAT.
At present, around 60,000 barrels of crude oil are being extracted daily from Cairn Energy’s facility in Barmer, which is currently transported to refineries in Gujarat.