State-owned IOC and Gail appear to have been drawn into yet another futile petrochemical project by politicians. This time it is in Barauni, Bihar.
IOC operates a 6m tonnes/year refinery at Barauni but this is unlikely to yield sufficient feedstock for the project. The ministry for chemicals and fertilisers has therefore asked Gail to develop a gas pipeline.
The justification, as always, is the development of a downstream industry and creation of employment opportunities.