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Congress serves quit notice on Vedanta

BHUBANESWAR: Senior Congress leader and convenor of Green Kalahandi Bhakta Charan Das on Friday warned the Vedanta Alumina to wind up its alumina refinery operations in Kalahandi district. The company will not be allowed to mine Niyamgiri hills at any cost, he said.

At a press conference here, Mr. Das said if the company did not close its operations by January-end, the people of the region would stall the company’s work.

Stating that prolonged discontentment among the people, especially among the tribals, may lead to an explosive situation, Mr. Das said the government would be held responsible if anything went wrong in the process.

Welcoming the recent Supreme Court judgment in the Vedanta Alumina case, the former Union Minister alleged that that Vedanta Alumina violated all the rules to establish its alumina refinery project and cannot be trusted for providing coordinated sustainable development.

He criticised Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for supporting the company after the Supreme Court had questioned its credibility.

As regards the taking over of Vedanta Alumina’s operations by Sterlite, Mr. Das said it was common knowledge that both Vedanta Alumina and Sterlite belonged to a single owner.

“If Vedanta Alumina can mislead the apex court, how can its elder brother Sterlite company will do justice to the people of Orissa,” he queried.

Alleging that huge kickbacks were involved in the deal between Vedanta Alumina and the State government, Mr. Das said that his organisation would move the court to seek CBI probe into the deal.

Mr. Das alleged that the Chief Minister had shown undue favour to Vedanta Alumina.

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