Even as gram sabhas against Vedanta?s bauxite mining project take place in the Niyamgiri hills, the company?s president and chief executive officer (CEO), Mukesh Kumar, is hopeful that the raw material problem of its 1-million-tonne Lanjigarh alumina refinery would be solved with the implementation of the recommendation of the inter-ministerial group on mineral linkage to local industries.
?We are hopeful that the IMG’s recommendation would bring relief for VAL’s refinery in the state?, said Mukesh Kumar. He said the Orissa government would certainly take necessary steps to save the plant as there is no dearth of bauxite in the state.
Kumar on Monday met the state chief secretary, JK Mohapatra, and discussed the problem being faced by the company in running the Lanjigarh refinery. The refinery, which was shut down on December 5,2012 for want of bauxite, has been re-started from July 11, 2013.
?Currently, we are running the plant at 60% of its capacity by sourcing minerals from various sources,? said Kumar.
He, however, refused to comment on the gram sabhas being conducted in the 12 villages in the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts.
The villagers of Kesharpadi village of the Rayagada district have asserted their rights under the Forest Rights Act in the gram sabha held in the village on Monday. Earlier, the villagers of Sirkipadi in the same district had asserted their rights in the gram sabha.
