Barsu oil refinery: Fadnavis should prove his allegations, say protesters

Last week, while speaking at the legislative council, Fadnavis claimed that a lobby which has been opposing developmental projects in India is playing a role in Barsu and some people involved in anti-Barsu protests visited Bengaluru often and records show that they received funds from accounts in Bengaluru. He further claimed that some activists are in touch with the ex-cadre of Greenpeace, a campaigning organisation.

“We are ready to show our financial transactions to anyone. Let Fadnavis check everything. But he must apologise if he doesn’t find any proof of it,” said Narendra Joshi of the organisation.

Chavan claimed that the only agenda of the government is to defame the protest and protesters. “The allegations prove that the promises of taking locals into confidence were absolute lies. Villagers are firm on opposing the project,” he added.

The Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemical Limited – touted as Asia’s biggest oil refinery – was proposed to be built at coastal Nanar village in Konkan’s Ratnagiri district. It was supposed to be a joint venture between Indian Oil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum and Saudi Arabia-owned Aramco and United Arab Emirates’ National Oil Company. The project is claimed to be an investment of over Rs 3 lakh crore and requires 15,000 acre of land.

After formation of MVA government, CM Uddhav Thackeray announced that refinery will not be set up in Nanar despite Centre’s push. Thackeray in May last year had then suggested a new location, Barsu-Solgaon, for the project.

The BJP-Shinde government, however, has been firm on setting up the project in Rajapur tehsil in Konkan. Despite the strong opposition of local villagers, the state government in April started the soil testing of the site. The move had not gone down well with the villagers who had then staged a protest at the site, forcing police to impose Section 144. Clashes took place between police and villagers after which as many as 500 villagers including elderly women were arrested.