JAISALMER: Chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the country’s first HPCL integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complex at Balotra on April 21. He said the Pachpadra refinery will strengthen Rajasthan’s role in India’s energy security and accelerate the state’s economic growth. The CM directed officials to ensure that the event is organised in a historic manner. Preparations in Balotra for the Prime Minister’s visit have begun on a war footing. The district administration is finalising arrangements and conducting extensive reviews at multiple levels. On Thursday, a key meeting of administrative officials was held at the District Collectorate under the chairmanship of District Collector Sushil Kumar Yadav to review preparations. At the same time, Jodhpur Divisional Commissioner Alok Ranjan inspected the refinery site at Pachpadra in Balotra ahead of the Prime Minister’s proposed visit. Senior officials, including IG Police (Jodhpur Range) Satyendra Singh, Additional SP (CID) Narpat Singh, intelligence officials, and other administrative officers, were present. During the inspection, the Divisional Commissioner reviewed arrangements related to the event, including the helipad, plantation site, sabha venue, control room, and other key locations. He directed officials to ensure proper security, cleanliness, seating arrangements, parking, and smooth execution of all necessary arrangements within the stipulated time. In a high-level meeting held at the CM’s Office, the CM also reviewed preparations for the Prime Minister’s visit. He stated that the Prime Minister will address a public gathering and flag off LPG tankers produced from the refinery. Officials have been instructed to ensure adequate arrangements for seating, drinking water, medical facilities, electricity supply, parking, traffic management, and security. The CM emphasised coordination between the traffic police and the transport department to maintain smooth movement and proper parking facilities. He also gave directions regarding plantation work within the refinery campus. The Pachpadra refinery project, with a revised cost of Rs 79,459 crore, has an annual refining capacity of 9 million metric tonnes. It will process a mix of 1.5–2.5 million tonnes of Rajasthan crude and 6.5–7.5 million tonnes of imported crude. Spread across approximately 4,400 acres, the refinery has already commenced commercial production of LPG. The HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited refinery will produce petrol, diesel, and petrochemical products such as polypropylene, LLDPE (Linear Low-Density Polyethylene), HDPE (High-Density Polyethylene), benzene, toluene, and butadiene. These products will support sectors such as transportation, pharmaceuticals, paints, and packaging. The project is expected to boost energy self-reliance, reduce import dependency in the petrochemical sector, and create employment and skill development opportunities for youth. Chief Secretary V. Srinivas, Director General of Police Rajeev Kumar Sharma, senior HPCL officials, and other officials were also present during the meeting. Separately, another review meeting was held at the Balotra District Collectorate auditorium regarding preparations for the refinery inauguration. Officials from both Balotra and Barmer districts, including sub-divisional officers and tehsildars, participated and provided feedback on ongoing arrangements. District Collector Sushil Kumar Yadav emphasised prioritising vehicle parking arrangements and directed that land-levelling work be expedited to accommodate a large number of vehicles. Instructions were also given to deploy JCB machines to ensure smooth movement in parking areas if required. He further stressed the importance of traffic management, security, drinking water, sanitation, medical facilities, and emergency services. Officials have been assigned specific responsibilities and instructed to complete all tasks within the stipulated timeline, ensuring that no negligence occurs at any level.
