On Saturday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi dedicated the Rajasthan Refinery at Pachpadra in Balotra district to the nation and unveiled development projects worth over ₹1.06 lakh crore. He hailed the refinery as a significant step towards energy independence and industrial self-sufficiency for India.
At a large public event, the prime minister of India announced that India is now the world’s fourth-largest refinery capacity holder. He credited the country’s success in navigating the worst global energy crisis of the 21st century—caused by conflicts in West Asia—to its prompt policy decisions, strategic planning, and effective diplomacy.
Prime Minister Modi praised India’s energy resilience, saying that the country’s supply of petrol, diesel and liquid petroleum gas remained unabated even though the price of crude oil surged from around $70 to almost $120 per barrel and global supply chains were severely disrupted. He brought up the fact that the government shielded people from severe foreign price shocks, lowered excise duty, and backed oil marketing firms.
Reconfiguring refinery operations allowed India to quickly boost LPG production, according to the prime minister. Within seven days, output climbed from 35,000 metric tonnes to 54,000 metric tonnes. He further mentioned that India’s energy security would be enhanced in the long run due to the diversity of crude oil imports from more than 40 nations and the growth of Piped Natural Gas (PNG) networks.
When discussing agriculture and industry, Prime Minister Modi claimed that the government protected farmers by subsidising urea prices so that they stayed around ₹300 per bag even when global prices were over ₹3,000. More government-backed bank loans were made available to micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (MSMEs) through the Emergency Credit Line Guarantee Scheme (ECLGS), which he also emphasised.
The development of Rajasthan was also exhibited by the Prime Minister, who focused on water conservation projects, the extension of the Jaipur Metro, the Jodhpur airport terminal, the connectivity of UDAN, solar energy programs, PM-KUSUM, and PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana. He emphasised that 65,000 solar pumps have been distributed to farmers in Rajasthan, and that 1.5 lakh residences in the state have switched to solar power, further solidifying Rajasthan’s position as a leader in India’s clean energy revolution.
Image: CNBC TV18
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