By Dipesh D. Tripathi: The Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) chief, Sharad Pawar, today said that the Maharashtra government should not be in a hurry and hold a dialogue with local villagers opposing the refinery project in the state’s coastal Ratnagiri district.
He spoke to the media after meeting state industries minister Uday Samant over the issue.
“I asked Uday Samant about force being used on protesters in Barsu. He said that the government didn’t use force as claimed,” Pawar said.
“He also said that the government is only testing soil there and that the land survey has not started yet. I have told him that the government should not be in a hurry and discuss the matter with the locals. Officers should also be instructed in the same way,” Pawar added.
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Residents of Barsu village in Ratnagiri are up in arms against the refinery project and the Shiv Sena (UBT) and Congress – the NCP’s allies in the Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) coalition – are supporting them.
“I didn’t discuss the FIRs against the protesters. I know that if an FIR is filed in a police station it cannot be dismissed easily. We need to speak to MLA Rajan Salvi and MP Vinayak Raut and try to find some way,” Pawar said.
Locals must be heard and the views of politicians don’t matter, the NCP chief said. “Our view is not important about any upcoming project. It’s the view and opinion of the locals and people affected by the projects that needs to be heard.”
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Speaking about Uddhav Thackeray’s proposal that an NCP leader should be chief minister if the MVA wins the next state election, Pawar said he was not aware of Thackeray’s proposal.
“Whatever Sanjay Raut said about a change in the chief ministerial face must be from his own sources. I don’t have any information on this. Ajit Pawar has himself said that putting his posters as the future chief minister is madness,” he said.
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