Jaipur, April 8 Rajasthan BJP president Madan Rathore said on Wednesday that the Pachpadra refinery project will boost economic development in the state and generate large-scale employment.
He also alleged that the previous Congress government had entered into a flawed agreement for the project.
In a statement, Rathore said Prime Minister Narendra Modi will inaugurate the refinery project on April 21, terming it a matter of pride for Rajasthan.
He said the refinery, being developed in the Pachpadra area of Balotra district in western Rajasthan, will play a key role in making the state self-reliant and driving economic growth.
Rathore said the project is expected to generate employment for about 90,000 people, both directly and indirectly, significantly higher than earlier estimates of 10,000 to 30,000 jobs.
Targeting the previous Congress government, Rathore alleged that the agreement signed for the refinery project was against the interests of the state and would have imposed a heavy financial burden.
He claimed that the earlier memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed in haste without adequate environmental clearances and financial clarity, which could have caused significant losses to the state.
He said that after the BJP returned to power, major revisions were made to the agreement, reducing the financial burden and saving around Rs 40,000 crore, while increasing the state's share in the project.
The state's financial contribution has now been limited to around Rs 16,845 crore, he added.