No water issue with Barmer project: HPCL

The project is under final stages of approval from the Cabinet, says company Chairman & MD Subir Roy Choudhury

Hindustan Petroleum Chairman and Managing Director Subir Roy Choudhury has said there is no problem with water supply to the proposed Rs 37,230-crore Barmer refinery in Rajasthan and expressed the confidence that foundation stone for the project will be laid this month.

"There is no issue regarding water supply to the proposed refinery as the state has assured us of enough supply (5-6 million gallons a day) from the Indira Gandhi canal. We are very keen on the project and are confident of laying the foundation stone by the third week or latest by the end of the month," Choudhury told PTI here.

He said the project is under the final stages of approval from the Cabinet.

The project is being expedited in view of  the state elections, company sources said.

 The Congress-ruled Rajasthan goes to polls in November and Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot wants to get the project moving before the model code comes in to play.

It may be noted that following the MoU singing between the company and Rajasthan in early July to form the 74:26 joint venture company (HPCL Rajasthan Refinery) to run the Barmer refinery, there were reports last month that HPCL might face problem in sourcing water from the desert state for the 9 mt per annum refinery.

He also said because of the delay in the Ratnagiri project, the company is focusing on the Barmer plant. He also admitted that the company is going slow on the Ratnagiri project as there is no surety that it will get going because of the VN Gadgil report on the ecology of the Western Ghats.

"Therefore, we are pushing the Barmer project. The Ratnagiri project has no issue with land as the project is being proposed on a barren piece of land parcel," the Chairman said.