NANAR: Desai puts rollback in motion

A fortnight after Industries minister Subhash Desai declared his intent to de-notify the Nanar project and chief minister Devendra Fadnavis overruled him, it seems the process of de-notification has been initiated.

As per the original notification, the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation was asked to acquire 1500 acres of land for the Rs 3 lakh crore petrochemical refinery project at Nanar in Ratnagiri district.

But as per the rollback exercise initiated by the Sena minister, Desai, on April 24, wrote a letter to the secretary of the industries department seeking within a month a detailed report on the proposed de-notification

of lands that were acquired for the project.

‘‘I have not given any oral order but issued a written notification and begun the process. Under the law, the secretary and the district collector are bound to reply and submit their report to the industry ministry,” said Desai.

Under the Right to Fair Compensation under the Land Acquisition Act, 2013, unless and until, 80 percent affected people do not give their consent, a project cannot be set up in that area. ‘‘Now that more than 90 percent people are against the refinery project and they are backed by the legislation on this, how can the government forcibly push it?” Desai has questioned in his letter.

He has also asked the secretary, Industries Department, to submit a report stating the facts and give him the feedback of the locals who have to sacrifice their farmlands.

Desai told the Free Press Journal, “I have pointed out some major concerns through my letter. Ten out of 16 project affected villages have opposed this project and had submitted a memorandum to the district collector. These Gram Panchayats have passed a resolution opposing the project and I have stated so in my letter.”

Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray has been questioning the BJP-led government on this project. Uddhav and his cousin, Raj Thackeray, president of the Maharashtra Navanirman Sena, have vowed to support the locals.

Both Uddhav and Raj have clearly said the government needs to take this project out of Konkan. Uddhav has backed his minister (Desai) and asked him to revoke the notification for the project, which was issued on May 18, 2017.

This project is yet another baby of chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. The buzz is that this project can break the saffron alliance. Desai debunked such theories. “I still have very good relations with the CM and I expect to maintain these ties, always. Taking a political stand and having good relations are two different things, which I do not mix,” Desai said. Desai’s parting shot was: “The only person who can issue the de-notification is the Industries minister and there is no other higher authority.”