Move to scuttle Bathinda refinery condemned

CHANDIGARH, June 14: The Punjab state council of Communist Party of India has strongly condemned the Planning Commission move for scuttling the setting up of Bhatinda Refinery Project on the pretext of its size and cost.

The Communist leaders said it was sad that while taking such a decision the Planning Commission did not consider that it would adversely affect the industrialisation process in the state. The opportunities of providing jobs to thousands of unemployed youth would also be hit by the decision, they said.

Criticising the SAD-BJP coalition government for failing to protect the interest of the people of the state, the communist leaders said the decision of the Planning Commission had unleashed a wave of anger among the people of Punjab because the project was scuttled at the last moment.