Paradip: Work for the establishment of a proposed crude oil refinery unit here got a kick start as slum dwellers of Sandhakuda near the Paradip Port signed in a tripartite agreement, Saturday.
The crude oil refinery is being established by state-owned Numaligarh Refinery Ltd (NRL) of Assam. It will be established over 200 acre of land provided by the Paradip Port authorities near the Sandhakuda slum. NRL is a joint venture between Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL), Oil India Ltd and the Assam government.
The facility will enable the oil firm to import crude oil via the major port at Paradip to cater to its requirement post ramp up of its refinery from three million tonnes per annum (mtpa) to nine mtpa.
NRL has deposited Rs 20 crore with the Paradip Port Trust (PPT) as initial land deposit. The refinery to be built at a plan outlay of Rs 22,000 crore will trade in 3 to 9 million tonne of crude oil. The refinery here will supply crude oil to its Assam based refinery through pipelines. The NRL authorities had signed a memorandum of understating with the port authorities February 7, 2020
The slum dwellers were opposing the project apprehending displacement. They also feared that the dredging works might inundate the slum with saline water. However, the differences were resolved at a meeting held in the town, Thursday.
The tripartite meeting was attended by deputy secretary of Paradip Port K Thirumollar, project manager of NRL Bikash Das and a delegation of residents from the Sandhakuda slum. The port and NRL authorities claimed that the slum dwellers will not be displaced because of the project.
The deputy secretary and the NRL project manager also assured the delegation that the local youths will be given employment in the refinery on the basis of existing vacancies in the plant.
The port authorities and NRL project manager claimed that the dredging works for laying the pipelines will not inundate the slum. Proper arrangement will be made to discharge the groundwater gushing out of the pit during dredging works, the authorities said.
PNN
