Vedanta chief Anil Agarwal on Tuesday said the capacity of his company’s refinery at lanjigarh in Kalahandi district would be expanded from 1 million tonnes per annum (MTPA) to 2 MTPA in the next one year.
This would require 20 million tonnes of bauxite. The plant would ultimately have a capacity of 6 MTPA,” Agarwal told mediapersons after meeting Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik at the State Secretariat here.
Agarwal said the State Government has assured him of a lasting solution to the raw material problem faced by the company.
“We are talking to larsen & Toubro, which has been allocated three bauxite mines, to tide over our raw material problem. Besides, we have also approached the Odisha Government to give us two laterite mines, which would partially take care of our raw material needs. The State Government has responded positively to our request,” said Agarwal, who also met Chief Secretary GC Pati.
The Vedanta Chairman said that as a result of the acute shortage of ore, the company’s smelter plant at Jharsugda is operating at only 25 per cent of its capacity. He also said efforts are being made to gradually increase the smelter’s capacity utilisation.
Asked about reports that the Gram Sabhas conducted recently for expansion of the lanjigarh refinery had not been held properly, he said; “As per our information, the Gram Sabhas were held fairly and transparently.”
Asked about some activists having sent video footage allegedly showing that the Gram Sabhas were not held in the prescribed manner, he said; “I have no idea.”