High Level Committee of experts to look into issues relating to the setting up of Refinery and Petrochemicals project in Konkan Region.
New Delhi 24-Sep-2018
A High Level independent Committee of Experts, under the Chairmanship of Shri D.M. Sukthankar, former Chief Secretary, Government of Maharashtra and former Secretary, Urban Development, Government of India, has been constituted to recommend a roadmap for the settlement of issues related to acquisition of land in a fair manner and satisfactory resettlement and rehabilitation of the Project affected people, for the proposed integrated Refinery & Petrochemicals project in Konkan region of Maharashtra.
Other eminent members of the committee are:
Dr. Vijay L. Kelkar (Chairman, National Institute of Public Finance & Policy, New Delhi and former Finance Secretary & Petroleum Secretary, Government of India);
Prof. Abhay Pethe (former Chair Professor & Director, Dept. of Economics, University of Mumbai);
Prof. J.B. Joshi (President, Marathi Vidnyan Parishad, Mumbai and former Director, Institute of Chemical Technology, Mumbai); and
Dr. S B Kadrekar, Former Vice-chancellor, Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth (Agricultural University), Dapoli (District Ratnagiri).
The Expert Committee, set up by the promoters of the project will, having due regard to the various concerns about the project expressed in general and those voiced by the people likely to be affected by the project in particular, recommend a roadmap for the settlement of issues related to acquisition of land for the project in a fair manner and satisfactory resettlement and rehabilitation of the Project affected people. The Committee will further look into and make appropriate recommendations in regard to all issues connected with the overall environmental protection and ecological conservation of the region. It will independently recommend a proper framework and methodology for the holistic and integrated development of the Region, including balanced town and country planning, economic and socio-cultural development, diversification and development of skills among the local population of the region and other relevant matters.
Committee has been empowered to invite and interact with all stakeholders and to commission and monitor such special studies as it may consider necessary, such as Environmental Impact Assessment, Social, Economic and Cultural Impact Assessment etc.
The Committee is expected to submit its recommendations, within the next six months, to the promoters of the Project as well as the Government of Maharashtra, for further action. An interim report identifying areas of early action is also expected to be submitted by the Committee.
Ratnagiri Refinery and Petrochemicals Ltd., which is proposing to set up the integrated Refinery & Petrochemical complex, is a Joint Venture between the three Public Sector Undertakings of the Government of India viz. IndianOil, Bharat Petroleum and Hindustan Petroleum. Foreign National Oil Companies Saudi Aramco of Saudi Arabia and ADNOC of UAE have also shown their interest to be part of this venture. The project is planned to be the largest such project in the world and is of vital national importance for meeting the country's energy needs and providing energy security. The project proposes to embrace the most advanced technology currently accessible in the world with special attention to environmental and ecological conservation and preservation. This mammoth investment is expected to, besides generating employment and other opportunities and benefits for the local population, have a far reaching impact on the socio-economic development of Konkan region in particular and the State of Maharashtra in general.
The recommendations made by the Committee are expected to be fully and faithfully implemented by the promoters and the concerned authorities with a view to ensuring the environmental protection, ecological preservation and holistic development of Konkan region and also the proper resettlement, in a sensitive and humane manner, of the local people likely to be displaced by the project.
