SAGAR, Madhya Pradesh

Main Attraction: BINA REFINERY

The Bharat Oman Refineries Limited (BORL) is a company that owns and operates Bina Refinery, located at Bina in the Sagar district of the state of Madhya Pradesh in India. Built as a joint venture between India’s Bharat Petroleum Corporation (BPCL) and Oman’s Oman Oil Company, the 6 MTPA refineries was commissioned in May 2011.

The Bina refinery uses a single point mooring system at Vadinar in Gujarat to facilitate the unloading of imported crude oil from large crude carriers. The crude is transported through a 935-km long pipeline from Vadinar to Bina. The products of the refinery are then transported through the 257- km Bina-Kota pipeline where it joins the Mumbai-Manmad-Bijwasan pipeline to reach the markets of North India.

Brief History

Situated in the north central region of Madhya Pradesh, spelt as ‘SAUGOR’ during British period, the district of ‘Sagar’ takes its name from the headquarter town which in turn derived its name from Hindi word “Sagar” (meaning sea) . The town Sagar has been built around the beautiful lake. The history of the Sagar dates back to about 1660 A.D when Udan Shah, a descendant of Nihal Shah, built a small fort on the site of the present one and founded a village close to it called Parkota, which is now a part of the town. The present fort and a settlement under its walls was founded by Govind Rao Pandit, officer in-charge of Sagar and the surrounding territory after 1735 A.D., when it came under the Peshwa’s possession.

In 1818 A.D., the Peshwa BajiRao II ceded the greater part of the district to the British Government, while different parts of the rest of the present district of Sagar came in the possession of the British at different times between 1818 and 1860. Appaji Bhonsla ceded the Dhamoni pargana of Banda tahsil in 1818 A.D. Transfer from the Bundelkhand states acquired the Bherapargana of Banda tahsil in 1818 A.D. The parganas, Rahatgarh in Sagar tahsil and Garhakota, Deori, Gourjhamer and Naharmow in Rehli tahsil collectively known as Punch Mahal were handed over to British by Sindhia at different dates from 1820 to 1825 for management. The Shahgarh pargana of Banda tahsil was confiscated in 1857 in consequence of the rebellion of its chief. The Kanjia pargana of Khurai tahsil was acquired from Sindhia in 1860 A.D. A small area in the north-east corner of the tahsil around the village of Hirapur was similarly transferred to the British from Charkhari state to Bundelkhand and added to the district after the uprising of 1857.

Administratively, Sagar and the neighbouring territories underwent frequent changes, the Saugor territory was, first of all, placed under the superintendent of Political Affairs of Bundelkhand. Later in 1820, the Saugor and Nerbudda territories were placed under the administration of an Agent to the Governor General. The Saugor and Nerbudda territories were included in North- western province in 1835. In 1842 after the Bundela rising, but order was restored in 1843 and the Saugor and Nerbudda territories were again placed under the political control of an Agent to the Governor-General. These territories were once again restored to the North-western provinces in 1853. Thereafter, in 1861 the Saugor and Nerbudda territories along with the Nagpur state formed a Commissioner’s Province called Central Provinces.