State-run refiner Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) has re-started 167 projects with all necessary Covid-19 safety protocols, involving over ₹14,000 crore as the nationwide lockdown was partially relaxed on Monday.

This effort will help in its own way in reviving the economy, apart from adding to the livelihood of more than 3,000 workers and their families during these difficult times, BPCL said in a statement.

More than 6,000 workers would be progressively deployed on these projects. Out of these 167 projects, 84 projects are outside the municipal limits, while 83 projects are within municipal limits, but have engaged residential workforce.

These projects would involve an expenditure of about ₹1,900 crore, during the current financial year and are spread across the entire value chain of the company — refineries, exploration and production, marketing infrastructure, pipelines, city gas distribution network and new fuel stations.

BPCL is expected to re-start another 88 stalled projects with an estimated investment of ₹23,210 crore in next few days, mainly at its Kochi refinery in Kerala, and the city gas distribution network in various geographical areas, which will provide employment to over 3,600 people and annual expenditure of additional ₹2,000 crore.

To ensure the safety of workforce, a detailed standard operating procedure (SOP) has been enforced across these project sites, with major emphasis on social distancing, using mask, frequently sanitizing the project site and mandatory thermal screening at entry and exits.