Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL), a subsidiary of ONGC, has been the subject of sustained resistance from local communities in Mangaluru due to its successive expansion phases since its inception in 1996. The third phase of expansion, which began in the 2000s, led to the displacement of several landowners in villages like Kuthethoor and Permude. Many among these displaced residents have long raised grievances over incomplete or inadequate rehabilitation and resettlement (R&R), including the lack of promised compensation and employment. These unresolved issues have created a foundation of distrust and unrest, which has intensified with MRPL’s proposed fourth phase of expansion.
In 2017, Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited (MRPL) announced its decision to step into the fourth phase of expansion of the refinery, which required about 1,050 acres of land. After a public hearing and a survey, the Karnataka government decided that 962 acres, of which 824 acres were private land, could be notified for usage.
The fourth phase of the expansion plan would extend the area covered by the company to 1,781 hectares. This has made the residents of Mangaluru anxious. Expansion work of the refinery is likely to cause pollution and contaminate soil and water. This is detrimental to the community as they are heavily dependent on fishing and farming. The protesting residents also allege that procedure was not followed in the process of land acquisition.
Following a petition by Bhoja Shettigar, a land owner in the project-affected area, the Karnataka High Court passed an interim stay order on the land acquisition in 2018. In a hearing on 9 April 2019, the court maintained the status quo on the interim stay order. A notification to acquire land in the two villages was first issued in 2007, but it was withdrawn by then Chief Minister B S Yediyurappa following protests in 2011. It was revived in 2017 when the local people asked for the land to be acquired under the LARR Act, 2013, since the earlier process was to be carried out under the KIADB Act, 1966.
Mangaluru residents are now fighting against MRPL's expansion under the banner of the Democratic Youth Federation of India and Krishi Bhoomi Samrakshana Samiti.
In June 2023, during an investor media interaction in Mumbai (including a meeting with UBS Securities India), MRPL Managing Director Sanjay Varma announced that the company had shelved its Phase IV refinery expansion to focus instead on petrochemical production, citing evolving market dynamics and persistent land acquisition challenges.
While Phase IV seems to have been set aside, as of mid-2025, Phase III’s green buffer issues remain unresolved, though MRPL has offered a compensation package and is in the process of negotiating a settlement with affected landowners.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition against environmental degradation
Refusal to give up land for the project
Complaint against procedural violations
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Opposition to expansion of the project
Region Classification
Urban and Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest, Non-Forest (Other than Grazing Land)
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project stalled
Original Project Deadline
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Other Natural Resource extraction/dependence
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Yes
Source/Reference
<https://www.thenewsminute.com/article/fight-save-lands-how-k-taka-residents-are-resisting-oil-refinery-s-expansion-102094>
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
20000
Type of investment:
Revised Investment
Year of Estimation
2017
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Land Acquisition Laws, Environmental Law, Land Acquisition Laws, Other
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
High Court of Karnataka
Case Number
ILR 2010 KAR 3980 (W.P. No. 925-935/2010); W.P.Nos. 55951-53/2014 (S-RES); W.P. 59589/2014 (LA-KIADB); WP 22707/2018
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Mangalore Refinery and Petrochemicals Limited
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Mangaluru residents
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
