Jajpur: Uncertainty looms large over the proposed underground oil reserve project at Dankari in Jajpur district with the Central government failing to sanction funds for it in the Union Budget.
The fate of the project now lies in doldrums with no word coming from the Centre. The project is conceived to be a strategic oil reserve during emergencies. It is aimed at supplying petroleum products to any part of the country for eight days at a stretch during any natural calamity. When it was announced, locals had welcomed the project as its establishment would lead to employment of over 500 people.
Now, they feel let down and doubt whether the project will be implemented at all. The Union government which had allocated Rs 3,800 crore for the project in the last budget failed to sanction a single penny in the recently presented budget in Parliament.
The project had received wide appreciation during its launch and the budgetary provision was welcomed by people from all quarters. However, this time, when the Centre has failed to sanction any money, it has raised questions about the project’s future. Moreover, the Centre has neither made any mention of the project nor promised any funds in future. Its silence has disappointed the locals.
The project is fourth of its kind, after similar projects had been set up at Visakhapatnam, Mangalore and Pudur. The Indian Strategic Petroleum Reserve Ltd (ISPR) had received the contract to construct the project.
ISPR chairman Kapildev Tripathy visited the proposed project site in March 2017 and assured its work would begin soon.
The Centre had even directed the state government to provide 400 acres of land for the project. Chief Secretary Aditya Kumar Padhi, on the request of Union Petroleum Secretary KD Tripathy, had directed the district administration to make the required land available following which efforts had been made to close down several stone quarries near the project.
The state government was even preparing to return Rs 14 crore to the quarry leaseholders which it had received towards royalty, environmental clearance and district mineral foundation fund.
Collector Ranjan Kumar Das said he has not received any fresh order on implementation of the project. PNN