Maharashtra: More than 30 women held during protest at refinery site in Ratnagiri

More than 30 women were detained by the police after they protested by lying on the road to stop government vehicles from entering the proposed site of a giant refinery at Barsu village in Maharashtra's coastal Ratnagiri district on Tuesday, an official said.

As local residents vented their anger against the mega project, which they fear will adversely affect the fragile biodiversity of the coastal Konkan region and also hit their livelihood, the Opposition Shiv Sena (UBT) came out in their support and demanded an immediate end to “atrocities” against protesters.

A government team was scheduled to conduct a survey at the site in Barsu and Solgaon areas of Rajapur, around 400km from Mumbai, on Monday, but locals started staging protests, the official said.

Local people in the coastal district have been protesting against the soil survey work for the multi-billion dollar refinery project. Several women participated in the protest on Tuesday morning, during which they lay on the ground to prevent vehicles of the district administration and police from entering the area, he said.

Considering the law and order situation, hundreds of police personnel were deployed at the project site, the official said. Ratnagiri Superintendent of Police Dhananjay Kulkarni and other senior police officials were at the spot to avoid any untoward incident, he said.

More than 30 women protesters were detained and taken to a police station in Ratnagiri, he said, adding no case has been registered so far.  Sanjay Raut demanded an immediate end to atrocities against locals in Barsu and asserted the party will not sit quietly on the issue and back the people. 

This is a government with a perverse mentality. They want a Jallianwala Bagh-like massacre. We are with people and the Shiv Sena (UBT) will not sit quiet, Raut said.