Aaditya Thackeray To Meet Maharashtra Villagers Opposing Refinery Project

Former Maharashtra Minister and Uddhav Thackeray's son Aaditya Thackeray on Thursday said he will meet the protestors against the Barsu Refinery project in Ratnagiri, to stand in solidarity with them.

The residents of Barsu village in Ratnagiri have been protesting against the setting up of the refinery.

The Shiv Sena (UBT) leader urged the state government to hold talks with the residents of Barsu amid the protest over the refinery project in the village.

"The government should hold a proper dialogue with the residents of Barsu and no work should be done without proper consultations. We will meet the protesters and extend our solidarity with them," Thackeray said.

Earlier, on Thursday, Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde said he had a discussion with Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief Sharad Pawar and assured him that the Barsu refinery project will be carried out only after taking all stakeholders, including local residents, into confidence.

Speaking to reporters, Mr Shinde said, "I had a telephonic conversation with Sharad Pawar yesterday about the Barsu Refinery project. Pawar-ji said that the state Industries Minister should take all officials and people concerned into confidence. I told him that the project won't be implemented by force and no injustice shall be done to the people."

"Nagpur Mumbai Samrudhi Highway had also been opposed by the people initially but we are seeing the fruits of the project there. A final decision with regard to the refinery project will be made after taking the farmers into confidence," he added.

Earlier, on Tuesday, Mr Shinde had slammed Uddhav Thackeray and the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) for opposing the refinery project.

Speaking to reporters at Mahabaleshwar in his native Satara district, Chief Minister Shinde backed the Barsu green refinery project and questioned the MVA's sudden opposition to it.

Citing a letter written by his predecessor Uddhav Thackeray to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, asking him to set up the refinery in the region in the interest of development, the chief minster said new employment avenues would open up for locals as the project would bring investments worth thousands of crores.

Mr Shinde said, "It was then CM (Uddhav Thackeray), who gave the green signal to the project after the Nanar project was cancelled. He even wrote to PM Modi seeking implementation of the Barsu Refinery project."

"After all this, it is difficult to understand why the Barsu is being opposed now. It's a matter of research," he said.

He added that the Samruddhi Mahamarg project was continued despite the Opposition's resistance initially.

"It has since become a game-changer for the state," he said.

Slamming the Opposition over its double standards in running down projects meant at benefitting the state, he said, "This is opposition just for the sake of it. The soil testing for the project is being done currently with the consent of 60-70 per cent of locals."

Mr Shinde assured that the project would start only after assessing the soil testing report, as it will determine if the land is suitable for a project of this nature.

He added, "Not a brick will be laid without the consent of locals".

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)