HPCL, which has been facing opposition for its Rs 40,000-crore refinery project in Ratnagiri district of Maharashtra, has decided to offer more money to villagers for their land. The company requires 4,000 hectares for the nine-million-tonne refinery project.

Maharashtra's Principal Secretary for Revenue and Forest, Mr Praveensingh Pardeshi, told Business Line that appropriate permissions have been granted to HPCL, which will enable it to pay a higher compensation for land, than the current ready reckoner rate. It will help in countering the opposition it has been facing while acquiring land from the local farmers and other land holders, he said.

Ratnagiri along with Sindhudurg and Raigad are ecologically sensitive districts of Konkan. These three districts have been selected for 12 energy projects. Close proximity to the sea makes it a favourite destination for power-projects based on imported coal. However, the locals feel that the pollution from the projects will destroy their livelihood.

In December 2011, land surveyors engaged by HPCL were handed over to the police for “illegally” carrying out survey of 4,000 hectares. Villagers of Tavsal, Katole and surrounding four villages, where the survey was carried out, believe that the pollution and effluents from the refinery will destroy their business of coastal fishing and mango orchards.

Not informed

Mr Sadanand Pawar, who is spearheading the agitation against the refinery, told Business Line that the process of land survey and acquisition is usually done by informing the villagers and local panchayat leaders. But in this case neither HPCL nor the person assigned by the company for survey had given prior intimation to the gram panchayat.

“Survey work was carried out illegally by retired persons from the Revenue Department. Though villagers were enraged by their presence, they did not harm the surveyors but chose to file a complaint against them at the local police station. A panchnama (legal document of evidence) has also been filed at the station,” said Mr Pawar, an environmental activist and professor of economics at a college in Mumbai.

Mr Pawar said the villagers are not against development. Engineering, shipping, food processing or tourism-based industries can get land in the region. A little pollution from these industries can be tolerated. However, refinery or a thermal coal project is definitely not welcomed due to large-scale pollution.

In spite of repeated efforts, HPCL's senior officials were not available for comment.

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