Uddhav Thackeray on Barsu refinery plan says, people must be taken into confidence

Shiv Sena (UBT) leader Uddhav Thackeray said he had suggested Barsu as an alternative site for the refinery complex proposed in Nanar, both in Ratnagiri in Maharashtra's Konkan region, but would have moved ahead with it only after taking the people there in confidence had he continued as chief minister.

Thackeray, whose Maha Vikas Aghadi government fell after a rebellion in June last year by his cabinet colleague Eknath Shinde, who went on to become CM, also warned he would extract revenge for his ouster.

Shiv Sena (UBT), Nationalist Congress Party and the Congress have been supporting these residents and have said the state government must proceed only after all the fears of the people are allayed.

Thackeray said, I did suggest Barsu as an alternative site to Nanar due to opposition from the people. My government was toppled or else I would have demanded that the project be explained to the local population.

He said people will have to be told about employment generation and benefits of a green refinery, but questioned if it is a green refinery, then why is police resorting to high-handedness?

Thackeray asked why such projects were being imposed on Maharashtra and said Deputy Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should have visited Barsu and explained the details of the refinery complex to the local population.

If you wanted to take my suggestion (of Barsu), then why did you topple my government? The manner in which I was betrayed and my government toppled, I would extract revenge, Thackeray said in a warning to the ruling Shiv Sena and Bharatiya Janata Party.

Slamming the Maharashtra government over the alleged exodus of industries from the state, Thackeray said Airbus (military transport aircraft), Vedanta Foxconn (semiconductor chip manufacturing), bulk drug park (mega pharmaceutical hub) had moved out of the state earlier.