Jaipur, April 9 -- The Union Cabinet, chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, on Wednesday approved a sharp cost revision for the HPCL Rajasthan refinery project to Rs.79,459 crore, plus extra equity from Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited (HPCL), and greenlit the Rs.13,037-crore Jaipur Metro Phase-2 project. The refinery approval comes 12 days before PM Modi's scheduled visit to inaugurate the HPCL-Rajasthan refinery at Pachpadra on April 21, a milestone for one of India's largest integrated refinery-cum-petrochemical complexes. Chief minister Bhajanlal Sharma hailed it as a catalyst for economic growth. "The project will open up new employment opportunities for the youth and prove to be a lifeline for Rajasthan's economy," he said in a post on X. The Cabinet raised the HPCL Rajasthan Refinery Limited (HRRL) project cost from Rs.43,129 crore to Rs.79,459 crore, with HPCL injecting an additional Rs.8,962 crore in equity. HPCL's total equity commitment now stands at Rs.19,600 crore. Located at Pachpadra in Balotra, the 9 MMTPA greenfield refinery-cum-petrochemical complex includes 2.4 MMTPA petrochemical capacity. Over 26% of output will be petrochemicals, including petrol, diesel, polypropylene, LLDPE, HDPE, benzene, toluene and butadiene-essentials for transport, pharmaceuticals and packaging. A joint venture between HPCL and the Rajasthan government, it aims to enhance energy security, cut import dependence and start commercial operations on July 1, 2026. The project traces a politically charged history. It originated under former chief minister Ashok Gehlot (2008-13) and the UPA government of then PM Manmohan Singh. An MoU was signed in March 2013, and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi laid the foundation stone in September that year at an initial Rs.37,230 crore estimate. The BJP government under chief minister Vasundhara Raje took office in December 2013, reviewed the project over financial concerns and signed a revised agreement in 2017, fixing costs at Rs.43,129 crore. PM Modi inaugurated the construction in January 2018. Delays and scope expansion later drove costs to nearly Rs.80,000 crore. Beyond fuel refining, it will slash India's reliance on imported petrochemicals, with butadiene-a key synthetic rubber raw material-bolstering the domestic tyre and automotive sectors. The Cabinet also cleared Jaipur Metro Phase-2, a 41-km North-South corridor from Prahladpura to Todi Mod with 36 stations, at Rs.13,037.66 crore. Rajasthan Metro Rail Corporation Limited (RMRCL), a 50:50 venture between the Government of India and Rajasthan government, will execute it, an official release said. The corridor links key nodes including Sitapura Industrial Area, VKIA, Jaipur Airport, Tonk Road, SMS Hospital and Stadium, Ambabari and Vidhyadhar Nagar. It features underground stations near the airport and integrates with Phase-1 via interchanges and feeders for a seamless citywide network....