Economy

Maharashtra puts land purchase for Saudi Aramco refinery on hold

Updated : November 30, 2018 04:13 PM IST

The $44 billion refinery was seen as a game changer for both parties - offering India steady fuel supplies and meeting Saudi Arabia's need to secure regular buyers for its oil.

But thousands of farmers are refusing to surrender land, fearing it could damage a region famed for its Alphonso mangoes, vast cashew plantations and fishing hamlets that boast bountiful catches of seafood.

Maharashtra puts land purchase for Saudi Aramco refinery on hold

MaharashtraÂ has put onÂ holdÂ the process to buyÂ landÂ for the country's biggest oilÂ refineryÂ that state-run oil companies are building withÂ SaudiÂ Aramco, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis said, after strong opposition from farmers.

The $44 billionÂ refineryÂ was seen as a game changer for both parties - offering India steady fuel supplies and meetingÂ SaudiÂ Arabia's need to secure regular buyers for its oil.

But thousands of farmers are refusing to surrenderÂ land, fearing it could damage a region famed for its Alphonso mangoes, vast cashew plantations and fishing hamlets that boast bountiful catches of seafood.

"The entire (landÂ acquisition) process has been stayed. We haven't acquired anyÂ land," Fadnavis told state assembly on Wednesday as opposition parties and a coalition partner Shiv Sena were opposing theÂ refinery.

The RatnagiriÂ RefineryÂ & Petrochemicals Ltd (RRPL), which is running the project, says the 1.2 million barrel-per-day (bpd)Â refinery, and an integrated petrochemical site with a capacity of 18 million tonnes per year, will help create direct and indirect employment for up to 150,000 people, with jobs that pay better than agriculture or fishing.

RRPL, a joint venture between Indian Oil Corp (IOC), Hindustan PetroleumÂ and Bharat Petroleum, has said suggestions theÂ refineryÂ would damage the environment were baseless.

Issues related to theÂ landÂ for theÂ refineryÂ will be sorted out by the state government soon given the importance of the project, RRPL Chief Executive officer B. Ashok told Reuters.

LandÂ acquisition has always been a contentious issue in rural India, where a majority of the population depends on farming for their livelihood.

In 2008, for example, Tata MotorsÂ had to shelve plans for a car factory in Singur, West Bengal after facing widespread protests from farmers.

Have you signed up for Primo, our daily newsletter?

It has all the stories and data on the market, business, economy and tech that you need to know.

To keep watching CNBC-TV18, India's No. 1 English Business News Channel, call your Cable or DTH Operator and subscribe now for just Rs. 4 per month. You can also subscribe to CNBC-TV18 Prime HD for Re 1/- per month.Find out more