Directive from two top BJP bosses -- Prime Minister A B Vajpayee and party supremo Kushabhau Thakre -- who seem eager to see the BORL project through. Only last month, the Union Environment and Forests Ministry had granted permission in principle under the Forest Conservation Act to BORL.However, the fate of the multi-crore refinery project would continue to hang in the balance until the Gujarat government grants necessary permission under the Wild Life Protection Act for laying a portion of pipeline through the Marine National Park and Marine Sanctuary off the Vadinar coast.
Besides this, the BORL has to obtain no-objection certificates from the State Roads and Building, Narmada and Water Resources, Water Supply and Revenue Departments, for the Indo-Oman joint venture company proposes to lay a cross-country pipleline to carry crude oil from Vadinar to Beena for its refinery project.
In fact, Vyas has cautioned the chief secretary to ensure that NOCs are not given to BORL. The company had also made a plea to the Supreme Court.
Meanwhile, All India Rashtriya Janata Party (RJP) spokesman Kishorsinh Solanki has dubbed the central clearance for the Oman pipeline as a matter of shame for the ruling BJP in Gujarat and ``which shows how little the Centre cares for the Narmada project''.
Copyright © 1998 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.