Nanar refinery project: Sena, BJP on warpath

The Shiv Sena has come in direct confrontation with the BJP, its alliance partner at the Centre and in Maharashtra, over the Nanar refinery project.

A day after an Indian consortium consisting of Indian Oil Corporation (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Ltd (BPCL) signed an MoU with Saudi Arabian Oil Co (Saudi Aramco) for setting up India's largest refinery and petroleum complex in Ratnagiri district of coastal Konkan belt, Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has made the party's intentions clear.

In fact, Konkan strongman and Maharashtra Swabhiman Paksha founder Narayan Rane, who recently entered the Rajya Sabha, through a BJP nomination, is opposed to the project.

When completed the Rs 3 trillion refinery at Nanar in Ratnagiri, will be the largest single location refinery complex in the world with a capacity of 60 million tonne.

Even though Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan and Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis have assured that the project is for the betterment of the state - the Shiv Sena is vehemently opposed to the project.

The proposed 9,900 MW nuclear park project of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at Jaitapur in Rajapur taluka of Ratnagiri district - too was opposed by the Shiv Sena and so far, it has failed to take off.

Though former prime minister Dr Manmohan Singh - who headed the Congress-led UPA government and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who heads the NDA government, pushed the project, the Shiv Sena opposition has come in way. The project aims at installing 6 units of 1650 MW power capacity each at Madban village.

Even the locals from 14 villages in the vicinity of Nanar are opposing the project.

"Shiv Sena would not allow the Nanar project to come up under any circumstances," Thackeray said on Thursday, hitting out at Fadnavis for going back on his words.

"The chief minister has categorically stated that this destructive project will not come up in the Konkan as the locals are against it. This is not only treachery, but shows that his word has no value in Delhi," Thackeray said in a statement.

He said during discussions with Fadnavis, they had agreed that the uniqueness of Konkan and its mango orchards and bamboo plantations should not be destroyed under the guise of development. "He should have firmly declared that he will not sit quiet if injustice is perpetrated on the people. However, he seems to have surrendered, but Shiv Sena will not allow this project," Thackeray said.