Refinery office to be set up in Jodhpur, Barmer residents sore

The state government decision to set up an administrative office for the Pachpadra refinery at Jodhpur, has upset residents of Barmer.

Residents said that if the administrative office of the Pachpadra refinery is set up at Jodhpur, then there will be no meaning of setting up the refinery in Barmer.

The state government recently planned to open the administrative office for the refinery at Jodhpur. Following the government’s directive, the Jodhpur Nagar Nigam has identified more than five bigha of land in Jodhpur for the administrative office of the refinery.

Opposing the move, people in Barmer have launched a movement, demanding that the government withdraw the plan.

Protesters said that if the administrative office is set up at Jodhpur, then the people of Barmer will not able to get any benefit of industrial development and all the benefits will shift to Jodhpur.

Dinesh Bohra, a local resident, who launched a movement on social media against the government’s decision, said people are waiting for the refinery for years and with the announcement of setting up a refinery in Barmer, they had started dreaming for a better future.

If the administrative office of the refinery is set up at Jodhpur, then there will be no meaning of the refinery in Barmer, he said.

“Pachpadra is centrally located between Barmer and Jodhpur and an administrative office being set up at Jodhpur, will mean that all official work will be conducted from Jodhpur.”

A number of people have launched social media campaigns to make people of the region aware about the drawbacks of the government decision, he said.

Vijay Kumar, another social activist said, “We are planning to launch a signature campaign against the decision.”

“We will also write to the Prime Minister and to the chief minister requesting them to withdraw the decision and appeal to the local leaders to intervene in the matter,” he said.

Opposition Congress too has condemned the decision.

Former Congress parliamentarian from Barmer Harish Choudhary said the decision of the BJP government is doing injustice with the people of Barmer who have been dreaming of development of the region for decades.

The state government’s move, is not only betraying the people of Barmer and but also infringing on their rights, he said.

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