Residents of Kalahandi Approach Member of Parliament against Vedanta closure

After Vedanta Aluminium Limited’s plant closure notice to the Odisha Govt., the ‘Save Vedanta Movement’ seems to be escalating further with hundreds of local people working at the alumina refinery meeting the Member of Parliament – Kalahandi, Odisha, Bhakta Charan Das on 15^th September 2012. The localities handed over a memorandum to the MP seeking his intervention in taking their concern to the appropriate authorities so that the present situation of closing the refinery at Lanjigarh can be averted.

Local workforce, more than 300 in numbers, approached the Congress leader at his residence in Bhawanipatna and requested him to consider their demand. “If Vedanta at Lanjigarh will be shut down, thousands of local people working at the refinery will be jobless and livelihood of more than 10,000 people would get affected directly or indirectly,” said Hari Majhi, a local employee and a member of the displaced families.

The local workforce also told the Congress MP that in spite of having several bauxite deposits in Kalahandi, industrialisation in the district is facing a setback as VAL has already sent closure notice to the Odisha Govt. owing to lack of regular supply of bauxite.

“We, the local workforce of the company and residents of Kalahandi request your kind intervention in taking our concern to the appropriate authorities so that the present situation can be averted and more employment opportunities can be created for our other brothers and sisters of Kalahandi,” locals of Kalahandi stated in the memorandum submitted to the MP.

This move was followed by a series of demonstration and agitation by the localities of Lanjigarh area and the local workforce of the refinery to save VAL by ensuring regular supply of Odisha bauxite. This series of ‘Save Vedanta Movement’ is subsequent to the notice sent by Vedanta Aluminium Limited to Odisha Government seeking temporary closure of its Lanjigarh refinery from 5^th December 2012.

Local Employees, Affected Community Come Forward for Vedanta

Subsequent to the notice sent by Vedanta Aluminium Limited to Odisha Government seeking temporary closure of its Lanjigarh refinery from 5^th December 2012, people from Lanjigarh and nearby areas have come forward to support the Company in demanding immediate allocation of bauxite.

Hundreds of local employees, project affected people and displaced persons staged a peaceful demonstration in front of the office of District Collector and District Magistrate of Kalahandi in Odisha. They were demanding that government should ensure steady supply of bauxite to Vedanta’s Lanjigarh refinery so that the livelihood of thousands of people who depend on it will not get jeopardised. A memorandum to this effect was handed over to the District Collector.

According to the affected people, the alumina refinery is on the verge of closure which will hamper employment and livelihood of a larger community in Kalahandi and Rayagada district. “Many local graduates are employed at the refinery of Vedanta directly and indirectly. However, if bauxite from Odisha is not provided to the refinery, it may be forced to close down which will wipe out hopes and dreams of many students who aspire to get employment at the only industry in the district,” said Parimita Behera a localite of Bhawanipatna in Kalahandi district of Odisha.

People at the rehabilitation colony viz. Niyamgiri Vedanta Nagar are also concerned after the closure (temporary) notice was sent. “We are rehabilitated, provided with jobs, our children get quality education at English medium school. And, at this juncture if Odisha bauxite is not provided to VAL, it will be closed down after which our life will again take a back step of 10 years,” said Hari Majhi of Lanjigarh.

Bhawanipatna-Bhubaneswar Link Express flagged off

After completion of the much-awaited rail line up to Bhawanipatna, the long wait of the citizens here has finally come to an end as the Bhawanipatna-Rayagada-Bhubaneswar Link Express has been flagged off on the evening August 11, 2012. Kalahandi MP and former railway minister Bhakta Das flagged off the train in presence of District Collector Mr. Dukhisyam Satapathy and DRM, East Coast railway, Sambalpur Dision.

The Express train on the way to Bhubaneswar would touch Vizianagaram and Berhampur. Besides, Bhawanipatna-Raipur DMU is also run. It took 21 years to link Bhawanipatna with railway connectivity.

Congratulating the people of Kalahandi Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO, Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh said, “The long awaited dream of the people of Kalahandi and especially Bhawanipatna has been accomplished. I congratulate all the people on the occasion.” The new railway line will also beneficial to the people of Lanjigarh Biswanathpur also.

It has become a historic occasion for Das who had put up a proposal for railway connectivity to Bhawanipatna during the tenure of erstwhile Janata Dal Government at the Centre led by V P Singh in 1991. The 32-km rail link has been connected from Lanjigarh Road to Bhawanipatna while the link to Junagarh will be completed soon.