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Scrap Nanar oil refinery project in Konkan coast- Right to Protest

Scrap Nanar oil refinery project in Konkan coast  https://act.jhatkaa.org/campaigns/scrap-nanar-oil-refinery-project-in-konkan-coast 

The gram panchayats of 14 demarcated villages adopted a resolution together demanding the refinery project to be stalled while localities took to the streets to protest the development project in favor of Konkan coast's environment. The oil refinery project was scrapped in 2019 following vehement opposition from local leaders, farmers, fishermen, environmentalists and residents.

https://indianexpress.com/article/cities/mumbai/standing-firm-state-govt-to-go-ahead-with-oil-refinery-in-ratnagiri-protesters-served-notices-8241586/  Standing firm: State govt to go ahead with oil refinery in Ratnagiri, protesters served notices..  November 9, 2022. It is going to be the single-most biggest investment project in the state. D Phadnavis, Dy CM 

Six leaders of anti-refinery project movement, namely Satyajit Chavan, Narendra Joshi, Amol Bole, Nitin Jathar, Deepak Joshi and Satish Bane have been served externment notice by Ratnagiri police and they have been asked to present their side in next three days.

“We have a right to protest. People do not want an oil refinery in this area and we are only voicing their concerns. How can we be served these notices?” asked Chavan.

https://www.thehindu.com/news/cities/mumbai/konkan-locals-protest-against-proposed-mega-oil-refinery-project/article65274842.ece “We came to know that the Maharashtra Chief Minister has written a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, giving his approval for the new location at Barsu-Solgaon instead of the originally planned Nanar. Our opposition to the project is on a bigger issues concerning the environment and the possible damage this project would do to the Konkan coastline. We will not let the project move forward,” Satyajit Chavan of the Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti said. March 30, 2022

https://india.mongabay.com/2022/11/oil-refinery-sparks-protests-over-livelihood-concerns-in-ratnagiri/   Coming together under the banner of the , an opposition committee, Rajapur taluka’s residents have raised several concerns over the project, one of which they claim is that this is a highly polluting ‘red category’ project which the government claims is ‘green’.

Apart from health-related issues caused by the project, villagers are concerned that the polluting gases can harm the mango cultivation in the region which witnesses (Rs. 22 billion) for the district. They also claim that the project will be a threat to the 30,000-year-old prehistoric geoglyphs, which are art or motifs on stones, gravel, earth and other elements of the landscape.

https://www.drishtiias.com/daily-updates/daily-news-analysis/nanar-refinery-maharashtra

Maximum Government, Minimum Governance

Minimum government? Yes, of course. Minimum and limited to the Prime Minister, the Home Minister, both who had taken the Constitutional oath, plus the PMO and his two brothers in arms who didn’t need to take the oath. The other names that took oath while getting aboard the Government’s cabinet are there, at best, as masquerades or robots. Indeed, it might be a good IQ test for us to name the minsters and their respective ministries, without looking at GK notes or seeking the google guru!

https://countercurrents.org/2022/10/maximum-government-minimum-governance/ 

Maximum governance? Well, yes, in terms of absolute control over the governing institutions, machineries and treasuries.

In April 2019, the Prime Minister stated that the country still doesn’t know the real meaning of minimum government and maximum governance. And as the country awaited the new definition with bated breath – it rapidly emerged that in real-time situation, the terms actually meant “maximum government” and “minimum governance”.

That is exactly what we are facing and experiencing – a maximum government, maximum through exercising total control and practicing minimum governance. One can site any number of examples as evidence and proof but when all institutions that matter and actually execut governance lie shattered, in despair and in virtual chain and fear, what is left to govern? All that the government has to do is to govern the police, the CBI, the ED, and they in turn then execute governance for it. Likewise, simply govern the judiciary, the election commission, the media et.al., not forgetting the foot soldiers, and they do all the governing as per your specific wishes. 

by Biju Negi

24/10/2022

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