Indianoil warns Odisha of relook at Paradip refinery expansion

Investment plans also included projects to improve petrol and diesel quality to Euro-vi standards by 2020. If the investment does not take place, IOC will have to look for a market for fuel outside India as no petrol and diesel of lower quality can be sold within the country.

Also, the Rs 3,500 crore polypropylene plant is already under construction with September 2017 as the target date for commissioning. It remains to be seen if IOC can stop the project midway.

In the December 29, 2016 notice, Odisha government has asked why the fiscal incentives like 11-year deferment of sales tax on petroleum products sold in the state should not be withdrawn considering that the Rs 34,555 crore refinery was delayed by over six years.

Sources said the state government had in February 2004 signed an agreement with IOC to give fiscal incentives for setting up a 9 million tonnes a year oil refinery at Paradip by 2009-10. However, the project was delayed and started only in early 2016.

The delay is now being cited by Odisha to seek withdrawal of the incentives, sources said, adding that the state government feels the delay has pushed back the payback time of deferred taxes by few years. Also, the state government says that the refinery was originally planned for a 9 million tonnes per annum capacity but the actual size commissioned was 15 million tonnes.