Fire in newly built refinery highly unusual: Ashok Gehlot on Pachpadra blaze

Jaipur, April 21 The fire at the Pachpadra Refinery has triggered serious allegations of negligence and administrative pressure, with former Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot launching a sharp attack on the state government.

As multiple agencies and technical experts continue to probe the cause of the incident, Gehlot claimed the blaze was likely the result of oversight or psychological pressure to fast-track project completion.

Addressing a press conference in Jaipur, Gehlot said, “A fire in a newly built refinery is highly unusual. Expert opinion suggests it could only happen due to negligence or pressure to complete work in haste.”

He said he has spoken to Australian experts, who said it is quite unusual for a new refinery to catch fire.

His remarks come amid an ongoing investigation involving internal and external teams examining the incident at the high-value refinery project operated by Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited.

Gehlot raised concerns over both safety standards and delays in the refinery’s inauguration. He emphasised that such incidents in a newly constructed facility raise red flags about adherence to protocols and the quality of execution.

The refinery, built at a cost of nearly Rs 79,459 crore, was scheduled to be inaugurated by PM Modi, but the event was postponed following the fire.

Taking a dig at the current administration, Gehlot accused the Bharatiya Janata Party government of relying on announcements without delivering results on the ground.

Referring to his social media campaign “Intezaar Shastra”, he said it has exposed delays in key public welfare projects initiated during the previous Congress regime.

He asserted that the government has failed to provide clear timelines for project completion, leaving it in a defensive position.

Highlighting another major issue, Gehlot pointed to pending payments of approximately Rs 4,500 crore in the Public Health Engineering Department.

He said contractors and industrial bodies have issued an ultimatum to the government, warning of a “No Payment, No Work” campaign and a potential “Pani Roko Andolan” if dues are not cleared.

Gehlot also criticised the handling of welfare initiatives, particularly the Rajiv Gandhi Health Scheme.

He said the scheme’s original purpose is being undermined due to poor implementation and mounting unpaid dues to medical stores. He argued that isolated irregularities should not be used as justification for weakening an entire public welfare programme.

Raising the issue of agrarian distress, Gehlot said farmers are under immense pressure and reiterated his demand for a loan waiver modelled on the policies of the previous Congress government.

Commenting on the Chief Minister's recent statement regarding farmers, specifically his assertion that a farmer works for only 20 to 25 days, he stated that the Chief Minister has gravely insulted the farming community, sparking immense outrage among farmers.

He criticised remarks made by the Chief Minister, calling them “insulting” and out of touch with ground realities.

On the issue of women’s reservation, Gehlot accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of misleading the public.

He clarified that the law had already been passed in 2023 and questioned why its notification is still pending.

He further pointed out governance gaps, including the vacant position of the State Women’s Commission Chairperson amid rising crimes against women.

He added that the Bills recently introduced in Parliament pertained to issues related to delimitation, while the Women’s Reservation Bill had already been unanimously passed by both Houses of Parliament in September 2023, thereby acquiring the force of law.

Questioning the sincerity of the National Democratic Alliance government's intentions, Gehlot noted that, despite three years having elapsed, the notification for this law had not been issued.

Gehlot also characterised PM Modi's recent address to the nation as politically motivated, stating that it was unprecedented to deliver a political speech during such an address.

He further remarked that, regarding the issue of women’s reservation, the Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi, and the Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, Mallikarjun Kharge, had called for an all-party meeting; however, the government chose to disregard the Opposition's demand.

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