Normal life was affected during a bandh observed at lanjigarh in Kalahandi district on Friday demanding provision of bauxite mining facilities to Vedanta for smooth running of its alumina refinery at lanjigarh.
During the shutdown, called by the lanjigarh Anchalika Bikas Parishad (lABP), local inhabitants took out processions and staged demonstrations in support of their demand.
Shops and other business establishments remained closed and vehicular traffic was disrupted due to the bandh, official sources said.
leaders of the Parishad said that though Vedanta’s alumina refinery was set up 10 years back the company is now struggling for existence due to non-availability of bauxite mine.
Parishad president Sridhar Pesnia alleged that despite an MoU between VAl and State Government for provision of bauxite mine through the Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) to run this plant, not a grain of ore is made available to the plant, causing apprehension about closure of the refinery.
The company is managing to get bauxite from outside the State and country, but it is highly expensive. The stage-1 environment clearance was accorded for mining in the Niyamgiri Hill, but stage-2 clearance was refused.
Pesnia demanded that bauxite be made available from any source to the plant for running of the plant and to revive the economy of the area.