Nanar project gets blown into a major political issue

The Rs 3-trillion mega refinery project at Nanar in coastal Konkan belt has snowballed into a major political issue with Industries Minister Subhash Desai of the Shiv Sena announcing that the notification for land acquisition stands cancelled.

Even as the Shiv Sena dared the BJP with such an announcement, Opposition parties— the Congress and the NCP— lashed out at the saffron alliance government headed by Devendra Fadnavis.

Hours after Desai's comments in presence of Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray in Ratnagiri district's Nanar, a rattled Fadnavis said it was beyond the jurisdiction of the minister.

"Whatever the minister (Desai) has said is in his personal capacity. The governement would take decision based on whatever is best in the interests of Konkan region and Maharashtra," he said, adding that there is a high-powered committee which would take a final decision.

"No such proposal (to cancel the notification) has come before the committee," the chief minister said.

"Today, I wish to make an announcement with Uddhavji’s permission. The notification to acquire land for Nanar project has been cancelled," Desai had said.

Thackeray also lashed out at the Narendra Modi-led NDA government and Union Petroleum & Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan.

Thackeray pointed out that BJP legislator Ashish Deshmukh from Katol (Nagpur) has demanded that the project be set up in Vidarbha claiming that it would bring in development there.

"Please take it to Nagpur....Vidarbha. We would like Vidarbha to be developed. Instead of taking it to Gujarat, it should be taken to Vidarbha," Thackeray said in a veiled attack on Fadnavis, who hails from Nagpur.

"Local population has objections to the project. Pradhan has made a deal with Saudi Arabia (Saudi Aramco) and the chief minister's assurance (of being with the locals) went into dustbin," he said.

“Even before the project was announced, how did Gujaratis or Marwaris and others buy land here? From where did farmers like Shahs, Modis came....Gujrathis and Marwaris have purchased land here," he said.

"They (Sena) want to be in the government and eat the fruits and they protest also," Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Assembly Radhakrishna Vikhe-Patil of the Congress said.

"Both Shiv Sena and BJP are fooling the people of the Konkan region. When there is no decision in the Cabinet, how can a minister announce," Leader of Opposition in Maharashtra Legislative Council Dhananjay Munde of the NCP said.