BJP claims land purchaser in Nanar related to Shiv Sena

Mumbai: The land purchase issue at Nanar site in Konkan by investors from Mumbai took an ugly turn on Thursday when Pramod Jathar, former legislator of Bharatiya Janata Party claimed the investors and land purchasers are from a specific community, but the money invested through the purchasers belongs to builders and developers related to the political party, which is opposing the multi-crore refinery project.

The state government plans to establish Rs 3 lakh crore oil refinery project at Nanar in Rajapur tehsil of Ratnagiri district. Government claimed the project would generate employment for more than one lakh youth. Speaking to media on Thursday, Jathar, a BJP legislator in 2009 from Kankavali assembly constituency, said, “As the profit margins from business has reduced drastically, the richie rich want to make investment, and they do so in land. The same thing happened in Manat.” Jathar added there is a nexus between the land agents and government employees who inform the latter of the upcoming project and ask them to make investment.

The BJP leader revealed, “The Mumbai-based developers have invested in lands at Nanar and they are related to Sena leaders.” Jathar named a few giant land developers, but requested not to mention names. “In a meeting of Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis and coordination committee members of pro-Nanar supporters, Sena minister Subhash Desai, along with Vinayak Raut, a Sena Parliamentarian from Ratnagiri, and Rajan Salvi, Sena legislator from Rajapur were present,” said Jathar. Also, the chairmen of oil companies of Bharat Petroleum, Indian Oil and Hindustan Petroleum were present. Sena leaders were in favour of the project, but on the condition that consent of Project-Affected People (PAPs) be taken.

Jathar said, “We have submitted 10 terms and conditions to the CM and chairmen of the oil companies. They have agreed to all.” The conditions are the smart city for 3,000 PAPs must be built before the start of the project, PAPs should get a compensation of Rs 1 crore per acre, youths from local should be given skilled education, and for this, the government should take people from all industrial training institutes (ITIs) from Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, one member of each family must be given a job in the company and PAPs should be given a stake of the company to make them partial owner.

Jathar said he would oppose the project if it will create pollution. “Before opposing the project, people should understand it as it has the capacity to change the job scenario in Konkan, he appealed.