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Rally taken out in support of Vedanta

Staff Reporter

Opposition to the project is a result of a corporate rivalry, say activists

Photo: Ashoke Chakrabarty

Divisive issue: Tribal women activists of Kalahandi demonstrating in favour of industrialisation before State Assembly in Bhubaneswar on Friday. –

BHUBANESWAR: Mahatma Gandhi Marg witnessed rush of demonstrations as nearly a month-long budget session of Orissa Assembly coming to end here on Friday.

Three days after, a rally under banner of ‘Green Kalahandi’ organised to protest Vedanta Alumina Limited’s refinery project, about 400 people including, several ruling alliance legislators, assembled here to support the project.

"Opposition to Vedanta’s alumina refinery project is a result of corporate rivalry. Some other corporate houses wanted to set up plant in Kalhandi District but when they did not succeed, they are now conspiring all opposition movements," Balabhadra Majhi, a Biju Janata Dal MLA, said.

He lashed at Bhakta Charan Das, former Union Minister of State for Railways, for "instigating’ movement against the project. "Mr. Das himself had requested the then Prime Minister Chanda Shekhar to facilitate a similar project by another industrial house. But for some obvious reasons, he has now turned an environmentalist and started protesting against the project."

Other speakers at the demonstration accused that those who were opposing the project were against the development of Kalahandi, one of the poorest districts of the country.

They submitted a memorandum to Governor Rameswar Thakur and apprised him of the status of project. They said the company had already completed its construction of plant and was ready for commissioning.

The group also submitted a copy of Mr. Das’s letter written in 1991.

Similarly, a pro-POSCO delegation from Paradip area came to the capital city to meet Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Chief Secretary Ajit Kumar Tripathy demanding measures to restore peace in the area. Reacting to their submission, Mr. Tripathy said stern action would be taken against those who were involved in creating law and order problem in POSCO project area.

However, the visit of pro-POSCO delegation was coincided with yet another demonstration against the project by Jagatsinghpur Zilla Bikash Manch (JZBM) in front of the Assembly. They demanded that the State Government should say no to the project.

Similarly, a huge rally was taken out by ABVP protesting against privatisation of education system and corruption in Council of Higher Secondary Education. They had even tried to break police cordon during the protest. Later, city police arrested 32 ABVP activists.

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