A petrochemical project ‘‘dedicated’’ to the nation by Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the run-up to the Bengal Assembly election is caught in a standoff between two entities controlled by his own government in Delhi.
PM Modi laid the foundation stone of the Rs 1,019-crore venture of public sector Indian Oil Corporation (IOC) on February 7 for a catalytic dewaxing unit at Haldia refinery. The plant, projected to be completed by April 2023, plans to make lube oil base stock, an export substitute product.
Ten months down the line, the oil marketing company is yet to start the groundwork for the plant which it had envisaged to build on a 175-acre plot which at present houses a closed unit of Hindustan Fertiliser Corporation Ltd.
