MUMBAI: The politics over the oil refinery at Barsu in Konkan hots up in Maharashtra. As the government forcefully started the survey of the land for the proposed oil refinery at Barsu, the locals protested against it and demanded the project should be stopped immediately.
The residents of Barsu began protesting against the land survey as officials reached the spot amid heavy police deployment in the area on Tuesday. The police arrested 45 people while hundreds were detained who protested entry of vehicles to the proposed site.
The oil refinery originally was planned at Nanar in Ratnagiri district, later it was shifted to Barsu after protests from the local and the Shiv Sena. NCP chief Sharad Pawar spoke with Industries Minister Uday Samant and asked him to release individuals arrested for protesting and that locals should be taken into confidence while undertaking projects.
The local police also imposed Section 144 in Ratnagiri’s Barsu and Solgaon villages. Samant said that Uddhav Thackeray had proposed an oil refinery at Barsu plot when he was the CM. “Uddhav is changing his stance now,” he said.