UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi will lay the foundation stone of the nine million-tonne refinery at Pachpadra town in Rajasthan’s Barmer district next month. This was stated by Union minister for petroleum and natural gas M. Veerappa Moily in Delhi. Chief minister Ashok Gehlot met petroleum and natural gas minister M. Veerappa Moily to discuss the matter of Rajasthan refinery project at his official residence in New Delhi on Wednesday. On the occasion, Mr Moily said that this project will provide huge oil royalty to Rajasthan. Assembly polls are due in Rajasthan later this year. Mr Gehlot said that this project would be prove a milestone in the area of development. Mr Gehlot also requested the petroleum minister to authorise and nominate JV company to off-take crude from Block RJ-ON-90/1 and Barmer-Salaya pipeline for the import of crude in case of crude depletion from Barmer Block. He said the JV company is a venture of the government of Rajasthan and HPCL under an agreement signed between them on 11 July, 2013. The CM said the actual formation of new JV company will be done after obtaining Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs clearance and it needs to be expedited.
