No initiation of refinery project at Barsu without locals' consent: Maha CM

Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde on Friday said the proposed refinery project at Barsu village in Ratnagiri district will not be implemented without the local people's consent, and appealed for calm in the area.

The situation in the village, where protesters who are opposing the refinery have gathered, was peaceful, he claimed while speaking to reporters here. Earlier in the day, police used tear gas in Barsu and Solgaon villages in Rajapur tehsil to disperse the protesters and detained Shiv Sena (UBT) MP Vinayak Raut.

Shinde said he spoke to Ratnagiri collector and superintendent of police as well as district guardian minister Uday Samant, and the collector told him that there was no lathi (baton) charge at the site.

"A former chief minister himself had suggested the Barsu site to the Union government. After losing the CM's post, he is opposing the project. One can not have such double standards," he said, apparently referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray whose party is backing the section of villagers opposing the refinery. "We are a people's government and we are not against them. We will not proceed without the local people's consent,'' the chief minister added. Shinde also claimed that more than 70 percent of locals support the project as it will generate employment.

''We will explain the benefits of the project to the remaining 30 percent who are opposing it," he said, adding that there should be no politics on the issue.