Maharashtra
Nanar, Sagwe, Taral, Karsinghewadi, Vadapalle, Villye, Dattawadi, Padekarwadi, Katradevi, Karvine, Chowke, Upade, Padwe, Sakhar, Gothiware, Girye and Rameshwar
,
Babulwadi
,
Ratnagiri
Published :
Feb 2023
|
Updated :
May 26, 2023
Communities revive campaign against oil refinery in Ratnagiri district, Maharashtra
Reported by
Saumya Srivastava
Legal Review by
Anmol Gupta
Edited by
Anupa Kujur
Households affected
People affected
2018
Year started
5261
Land area affected
Households affected
People Affected
2018
Year started
5261
Land area affected
Key Insights
Sector
Industry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Petroleum and Gas
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
Sector
Industry
Reason/Cause of conflict
Petroleum and Gas
Conflict Status
Ongoing
Ended
Legal Status
Region Classification
Rural
Ended
1
Summary

In August 2022, residents of Nanar and Barsu - Solgaon area in the state of Maharashtra decided to renew their campaign against the Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (RRPCL). This area is in Ratnagiri district, which lies in India's western coastal region. This part is also known as the Konkan coast.

RRPCL is a joint venture of Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company (ADNOC), Indian Oil Corporation, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited, and Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited. In 2017, when the project was first proposed, it was planned in Babulwadi village in Ratnagiri district. The project is likely to displace farmers and fisherfolk from seventeen villages, out of which fifteen are in Ratnagiri district and two in neighbouring Sindhudurg district along the western coast. Environmental activists fear that the project would harm the fragile biodiversity of the coastal areas in the Konkan region.

In 2018, around 15,000 residents of the affected villages had gathered to protest at Rajiv Gandhi Maidan in Rajapur tehsil in Ratnagiri district. Owing to the stiff resistance offered by community members, the then government was forced to agree to halt the project. Later the project site was shifted to a new location in Barsu-Solgaon but within the same district.

In 2022, the government of Maharashtra began talks for reviving the project. This is being opposed by community members living in the affected villages. The new site for the refinery in Barsu village is also home to ancient rock carvings, known technically as petroglyphs. Archaeologists have expressed concerns that locating the refinery in the village will have damage the petrogylphs. If implemented, this oil refinery will have a capacity to process 60 million metric tonnes of crude oil annually. RRPCL expects to provide employment to 1,50,000 people during the construction of the project and direct employment to 20,000 people upon completion, in addition to generating lakhs of indirect jobs.

2
Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Demand to cancel the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Opposition against degradation of historical sites

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Common and Private

Non-Forest (Grazing Land), Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)

What was the action taken by the police?

Arrest

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

150

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Out on bail

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

No

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

They were produced before a magistrate, but there was a delay beyond 24 hours

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Accused Mangesh Chavan over telephonic conversation with LCW stated that the time of the his arrest (along with co-accused Satyajeet Chavan) was reported by the Police as 10 PM, despite the fact that that both of them were picked up at around 11:15 AM. They were produced before a Magistrate the day after, sometime in the evening, therefore being beyond the period of 24 hours since arrest.

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Indian Penal Code, 1860

143, 147, 149, 341, 109, 186, 188

Maharashtra Police Act, 1951

37(1), 37(3), 135

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

Neither were they informed, nor did they have access

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Yes

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Bail was granted on the condition that the accused were not to leave the jurisdiction of Ratnagiri. Quantum of Bail was Rs. 5000, in addition to signing of Personal Bond of Rs. 15000.

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

“We were intercepted on our way to the neighbouring village of Karla by two police officials in plain clothes. The police must be tracking Satyajeet through his phone, who had come to my place in Ratnagiri from Mumbai. The police didn’t take us to the police station. Instead they took us to a dog squad unit located at MIDC industrial area, in a private car. We were interrogated for six hours and then taken to the city police station. The police then told us that they had received orders for our preventive arrest,” alleged Mangesh Chavhan, as per News report -

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Mangesh Chavan - Accused (9423876066) Adv Chandrashekar Abhyankar - Advocate for Accused (8149696693)

Status of Project

Project stalled due to protests

Original Project Deadline

2022

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Yes

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Water bodies, Agricultural land, Residential area, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Yes

Source/Reference

<https://thewire.in/rights/thousands-in-maharashtra-are-opposing-what-could-be-globes-largest-oil-refinery>

Total investment involved (in Crores):

270000

Type of investment:

Investment Expected

Year of Estimation

2018

Page Number In Investment Document:

1

Has the Conflict Ended?

No

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

4
Additional Information

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Indian Oil Corporation Limited, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation Limited, Bharat Petroleum Corporation Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

No

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Ratnagiri Refinery & Petrochemicals Limited, Saudi Aramco, Abu Dhabi National Oil Company

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

No

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Konkan Refinery Virodhi Sangharsh Samiti, Barsu-Solgaon Panchkroshi

5
Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

Arrest

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

150

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Out on bail

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

No

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

They were produced before a magistrate, but there was a delay beyond 24 hours

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Accused Mangesh Chavan over telephonic conversation with LCW stated that the time of the his arrest (along with co-accused Satyajeet Chavan) was reported by the Police as 10 PM, despite the fact that that both of them were picked up at around 11:15 AM. They were produced before a Magistrate the day after, sometime in the evening, therefore being beyond the period of 24 hours since arrest.

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Indian Penal Code, 1860

143, 147, 149, 341, 109, 186, 188

Maharashtra Police Act, 1951

37(1), 37(3), 135

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

Neither were they informed, nor did they have access

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Yes

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Bail was granted on the condition that the accused were not to leave the jurisdiction of Ratnagiri. Quantum of Bail was Rs. 5000, in addition to signing of Personal Bond of Rs. 15000.

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

“We were intercepted on our way to the neighbouring village of Karla by two police officials in plain clothes. The police must be tracking Satyajeet through his phone, who had come to my place in Ratnagiri from Mumbai. The police didn’t take us to the police station. Instead they took us to a dog squad unit located at MIDC industrial area, in a private car. We were interrogated for six hours and then taken to the city police station. The police then told us that they had received orders for our preventive arrest,” alleged Mangesh Chavhan, as per News report -

Legal Supporting Documents

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Author
Reported by
Saumya Srivastava
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Fact sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Refusal to give up land for the project

Demand to cancel the project

Opposition against environmental degradation

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

They were produced before a magistrate, but there was a delay beyond 24 hours

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

Neither were they informed, nor did they have access

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Yes

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Bail was granted on the condition that the accused were not to leave the jurisdiction of Ratnagiri. Quantum of Bail was Rs. 5000, in addition to signing of Personal Bond of Rs. 15000.

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

“We were intercepted on our way to the neighbouring village of Karla by two police officials in plain clothes. The police must be tracking Satyajeet through his phone, who had come to my place in Ratnagiri from Mumbai. The police didn’t take us to the police station. Instead they took us to a dog squad unit located at MIDC industrial area, in a private car. We were interrogated for six hours and then taken to the city police station. The police then told us that they had received orders for our preventive arrest,” alleged Mangesh Chavhan, as per News report -

Status of Project

Project stalled due to protests

Original Project Deadline

2022

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Yes

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Water bodies, Agricultural land, Residential area, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Yes

Source/Reference

<https://thewire.in/rights/thousands-in-maharashtra-are-opposing-what-could-be-globes-largest-oil-refinery>

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