Kerala CM seeks PM’s intervention to stop BPCL move to discontinue Polyol Project in Kochi

PTI, Feb 28, 2022, 8:22 PM IST

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Monday shot off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi urging him not to discontinue the Polyol Project proposed as part of the expansion of the BPCL, Kochi.

In his letter, Vijayan sought Modi’s intervention to direct the BPCL authorities to continue with the Polyol Project and to accord expeditious approval for the project.

The Chief Minister said it is understood that the Board of Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) has decided to discontinue the project, envisaged under the ”Make in India” initiative and was announced by the Government of India.

It is a ”very serious matter that has long-term implications for the industrial development of Kerala”, he said.

Noting that the Prime Minister himself laid the foundation stone for this project in Kochi on January 27, 2020 under the ‘Make in India’ project, Vijayan said the state government has also taken proactive steps to set up a Petro Chemical Park in 481 acres of land belonging to FACT Ambalamugal at a cost of Rs 977 crore.

He said the project leverages upon the proposed expansion of the BPCL through the Propylene Derivative Petrochemical Project (PDPP) and Polyo Projects and its proximity. ”It is expected to have an investment potential of Rs 9,500 crore and generate employment for 1,000 persons. BPCL has become the anchor investor and the State Government has already allotted 170 acres of land to the company for the project,” the Chief Minister said in the letter.

He said the state government is also taking up infrastructure development works in the Petro Chemical Park to the tune of Rs 200 crore. ”In this context, discontinuing the proposed Polyol Project will have cascading implications for the State, as we have already made substantial investments in terms of land, infrastructure development and other activities”, the Chief Minister said and sought intervention of the PM to direct the BPCL authorities to continue with the project in Kochi and to accord expeditious approval for it.