Ready to meet Uddhav Thackeray: Pradhan on Nanar refinery row

Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister Dharmendra Pradhan today said he is ready to meet Shiv Sena chief Uddhav Thackeray to discuss the planned mega-refinery in coastal Maharashtra.

"I am ready to meet Uddhav Thackeray any time," Pradhan said at a media interaction here, when his attention was drawn to Thackeray's reported refusal to meet him over the proposed mega project in coastal Konkan region of the state.

"The livelihood of local populace and farmers affected by land acquisition, and environmental impact are issues which could be resolved through talks," the minister said.

Pradhan's comments came in the backdrop of reports that Thackeray had conveyed to Pradhan that a meeting between them was pointless, as a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Saudi Aramco and Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC) to develop the refinery at Nanar in Ratnagiri has already been inked.

Sena leader and Industries Minister Subhash Desai had announced earlier that if the BJP-led state government went ahead with the project, he was prepared to resign.

Saudi Aramco and ADNOC signed an MoU in Delhi on Monday. The two companies will together hold 50 per cent stake in the project, while the remaining half will be split between state-owned Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Bharat Petroleum Corp (BPCL) and Hindustan Petroleum Corp (HPCL).

After the signing of the MoU, Pradhan, when asked about the BJP ally's strong opposition, had said he would meet Thackeray and "clear" his doubts.