Vijay Rupani confuses Petronet-LNG with OPaL
There's a huge difference between a LNG terminal and petrochemical complex but such nuances are clearly too mundane for overworked Gujarat chief minister Vijay Rupani and his speech writers.
Rupani spoke more about PLL than OPaL (ONGC Petro additions Ltd) at the dedication ceremony of OPaL's complex on March 7 before 3000 guests assembled in a white air-conditioned tent - including Narendra Modi. Delivered in Hindi, Rupani's welcome speech waxed eloquent about how Petronet-LNG's Dahej terminal had gone from "strength to strength" since it was commissioned in 2004 because of the Gujarat government's support.
Much to the bewilderment of assembled guests he spoke at length about how the Dahej terminal had progressed because of the 'pro-industry' policies of the Gujarat government, contrasting this with how Petronet-LNG's second terminal at Kochi in Kerala is hardly working at "5% capacity" since it was commissioned in 2013. "Because of the Gujarat government's support the Dahej terminal has expanded capacity from 5m t/y to 15m t/y," he said "See what is happening at Kochi where Petronet-LNG can hardly operate its terminal because there are no evacuation pipelines?" It was a well-aimed shot at the communist government of Kerala but of little relevance to Gujarat's support for OPaL where GSPC is a stakeholder.
"I thought he was just building up the pace of his speech," says a confused ONGC source. "But after talking about Petronet-LNG he just sat down."