The Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti (KVPVS), which is opposed to the West Coast Refinery project in Ratnagiri, has slammed Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis for referring to their agitation as a ‘business’.
Adressing a press conference on Friday, KVPVS president Ashok Walam said, “If the government does not plan on shifting the project out of Konkan region or scrap it completely by January 20, then 15,000 farmers will go on a hunger strike from January 21.”
During the winter session of the State Assembly in Nagpur, Shiv Sena leader Vinayak Raut requested Mr. Fadnavis to shift the proposed refinery out of the Konkan region. Later while speaking to the media, Mr. Fadnavis said that the opposition to the refinery was due to lack of knowledge. He said, “These days even agitations have become a business.”
Mr. Walam, responding to the CM’s statements, said, “The fact that the CM has to say that our opposition towards the destructive refinery to save our lives, land, and nature is a commercial agitation makes me lose trust in the government and the system.”
He said that since the proposal was passed, farmers have been fighting tooth and nail for the scrapping of the project. Mr. Walam said, “This just shows that our voice against the project in the form of request letters and applications has been falling on deaf ears.”
He said the refinery would be the sole reason for the destruction of entire Konkan belt and it would render more than 16,000 people homeless. The refinery is to be set-up in two village limits and require evicting people of 14 adjacent villages.
Mr. Walam said, “We have been protesting without any political backing and shall continue to do so. We are simple farmers and do not aim at politicising the issue.”
KVPVS members also claimed that Mr. Fadnavis was misleading the public along with Industries Subash Desai. Mr. Walam said, “There has been no effort from the government to address any of our problems. This will not be tolerated.”
