VEDANTA - SMILE TRAIN CLEFT LIP & PALATE SURGERY PROGRAMME KICKS OFF AT LANJIGARH

A joint project undertaken by Vedanta Hospital, Lanjigarh and the Smile Train, USA under the banner of ‘Vedanta Smile Train Cleft Lip & Palate Surgery Programme’ was kicked off at Lanjigarh on 10th March 2013. Vedanta Hospital has been performing these surgeries free of cost since the last one year and it is the only ‘Smile Train Centre’ in entire Western Odisha region.

Smile Train is a US based international organisation which conducts Free Cleft Lip and Palate Surgeries worldwide and has carried out more than 80,000 surgeries till date. Dr. Ram Anupam Tripathy (Maxcilo Facial Surgeon), Dr. Ritesh Ray Anaesthetist), Dr. Chinky Gupta (Dental Surgeon) and Dr. Manoj Sahu (General Surgeon) of Nirmala Kruti Bikash Trust (NKBT) – who manage the Vedanta Hospital – conducted nine surgeries at Vedanta Hospital on 10th March 2013.

Speaking on the occasion, Dr. Mukesh Kumar – President & COO, VAL, said “Vedanta, in collaboration with the Smile Train, will leave no stone unturned to treat each and every such cases in Kalahandi, Bolangir, Rayagada and Koraput region. To achieve the objective, Vedanta is seeking support of all the district administration to identify such cases with cleft lip and palate.”

A tri-partite agreement between Vedanta Lanjigarh, NKBT and Smile Train aims to provide a child born with a cleft the same opportunities in life as a child born without a cleft. Mr Satish Kalra, Regional Director, South Asia – Smile Train, said, “Odisha has been priority State for Smile Train in India. Since the safety of the Cleft patient is our utmost priority, we were not able to penetrate interiors of Orissa due to lack of good surgery facilities in the region. With Smile Train’s association with Vedanta Hospital, we would provide free cleft surgeries to the cleft patient in Kalahandi and neighbouring districts.

Millions of children in the world and many in India suffer from unrepaired clefts. Most cannot eat or speak properly; they face difficult lives filled with shame, isolation and pain. “In India over 35,000 children are born every year with clefts and over 50% of them remain untreated for lack of awareness on corrective surgeries available for this facial deformity and poor economic background. Clefts in India are as much a social and economic problem as they are medical, leading to physical and psychological problems for patients,” said Dr. Ram Anupam Tripathy who has successfully conducted many such surgeries in the past.

For more information please visit:

Vedanta Aluminium Limited: http://www.vedantaaluminium.com/

Smile Train: http://www.smiletrain.org/

DAV Vedanta International School organises Shishu Swasthya Mela at Lanjigarh

Nearly 1500 children between 5-9 years of age from peripheral villages of Lanjigarh attended a mega health fair “Shishu Swashthya Mela” organised by DAV Vedanta International School on 16-17 October 2012. The objective of the two-day programme, held at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district of Odisha, was to create awareness about childrens’ health and identification of deficiencies. Health check-up of children was done and subsequently curative measures were advised in case any deficiency was detected.

The health fair had 20 doctors providing their services to participants from 25 peripheral villages of Lanjigarh viz. Trilochanpur, Basantpada, Jagannathpur, Rengopali, Sindhbahal, Chhatrapur, Balabhadrapur, Kenduguda, Niyamgiri Vedanta Nagar, Nangalbeda etc. Speaking about the Shishu Swashthya Mela, Shukla Chakrobarty, Principal of DAV Vedanta International School said, “A lot of attention is required towards children and we all should come forward to build a healthy society. This health camp is one of our efforts to improve the health condition of children.”

The Shishu Swashthya Mela was inaugurated by Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & Chief Operating Officer, Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Lanjigarh in presence of senior VAL officials - Mr. Koustav Ratan Kundu and Mr. Manoj Agrawal.

The DAV Vedanta International School at Lanjigarh is the only English medium school in this region. Nearly 500 children study in the school, of which mostly come from tribal communities belonging to nearby villages.

Vedanta Initiates Income Generation Programme for Women at Lanjigarh

Women Empowerment Initiatives seems to have taken a big leap at Lanjigarh and its periphery in Kalahandi district of Odisha as 117 women of 11 Self Help Groups (SHGs) in the region will be engaged in income generation activities like Applique work, Leaf and cup plate, Hill broom binding, Phenyl making and Agarbatti making etc. Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) initiated the programme in collaboration with the District Industries Centre (DIC), Kalahandi.

These women, mostly tribal, are expected to earn Rs 1000-1500 per month after the start of the income generation activity. The training programme was started in October, 2012 at the Niyamgiri Vedanta Nagar and Basantpada where member of three SHGs participated. Women in villages of Basantpada, Kenduguda, Kansari, Parvatipur, Baterlima and Bandhguda will be part of the programme initially.

Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Mukesh Kumar – President & COO, VAL, said, “Strengthening women of Lanjigarh region is one of our prime focus. In the time to come, we will bring more women in this income generation programme.”

Two well experienced Master Trainers Mr. Narayan Yadav and Mr. Saroj Manhira, identified by DIC, were present to impart training on the different trades. Mr. Avilash Dwivedi – Head-CSR, VAL was instrumental in organizing the programme along with other CSR members like Sweety Mukherjee and Niharika Sahu.

Earlier, an inaugural session for the skill development training Programme was organised on 12th Sept, 2012 which was attended by General Manager District Industries Centre (DIC), Kalahandi Miss Meena Kumari Behera and Mr. K R Kundu, Head-HR (VAL).

VAL, Lanjigarh has taken up the project to enhance the quality of life of the SHG members and ensuring their empowerment in family and social decision making process. So far 22 SHG’s have been strengthened covering 238 women in 12 villages.

Vedanta Staff at Naveen's Door

The ‘Save Vedanta Movement’ gained momentum with around 30 representatives of local employees and community meeting the Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today. The delegation met the CM and gave him a memorandum and appealed for regular supply bauxite from Odisha to the alumina refinery of Vedanta Aluminium Limited at Lanjigarh so that the company doesn’t close down.

The Chief Minister was kind enough to meet all members of the delegation. He gave assurance and said, “I will follow it up and take the matter forward in consultation with the Chief Secretary. All necessary steps will be taken.” A day earlier, the delegation gave a memorandum to the Chief Secretary, Minister of Mines and Minister of Labour and Employment. The Chief Secretary ensured that he is concerned and will take steps to sort out the issue for the wellbeing of the people.

The local community said the company has already sent a temporary closure notice to the Govt. of Odisha due to lack of raw material (bauxite) and at this juncture, if regular bauxite will not be supplied to the refinery thousands of people will be impacted. “In spite of having large quantities of Bauxite in the state, if Vedanta Alumina Refinery closes down, Kalahandi will again become poverty-affected,” the memorandum said.

“I am from Lanjigarh of Kalahandi and I know if the company will close down, life of more than 20,000 people will be affected. We want that govt. should take immediate measures for supply of Odisha Bauxite to the company so that we and our region will prosper,” said Srikant Bohidar of Lanjigarh.

A lot of protest, agitation is seen in the recent times demanding Odisha bauxite supply to the Alumina Refinery of Vedanta Aluminium Limited at Lanjigarh.

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.

Vedanta conferred with Kalinga Safety Award

His Excellency the Hon'ble Governor of Odisha, Shri Muralidhar Chandrakant Bhandare presented the prestigious KALINGA SAFETY AWARD 2011 to Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh on September 14, 2012 in a glittering ceremony held in Hotel New Marion, Bhubaneswar. Sri Rabi Narayan Mishra, Head-HSE, Vedanta Lanjigarh Unit, received the award from His Excellency on behalf of the company.

This Award has been instituted by the Renowned ODISHA STATE SAFETY CONCLAVE 2012 of Odisha. Giving importance to safety aspect in industries, Governor Murlidhar Chandrakant Bhandare expressed his concern that lack of knowledge about dangers increases occurrence of accident. He also called upon the industrial houses to strictly adopt safety tools to ensure safety of the workers.

The two-day programme was organised by Institute of Quality and Environment Management Services Private Limited and Rotary Club of Bhubaneswar Heritage supported by the Ministry of Labour & Employment, Govt. of India and Department of Labour & ESI, Govt. of Odisha along with the Department of Tourism, Govt. of Odisha and Disaster Management Institute, Bhopal.

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.

Vedanta to shut down its Odisha refinery plant from December 5

Unable to run the refinery project to its full capacity since inception due to scarcity of bauxite, Vedanta Aluminium Limited on August 6, 2012 formally informed the Odisha government about its plan to shut down the plant from December five.

"We have given a letter to the secretary-cum- commissioner of labour department of the Odisha government about the closure plan. The three month notice is mandatory under the industrial dispute act before shutting down operations," Mukesh Kumar, President & Chief Operating Officer of VAL said.

Stating that the VAL had designed the smelter plant at Lanjigarh in Kahalandi district based on buffer bauxite, Kumar said the company could not get a gram of raw material from the state.
"Though you (state government) had guaranteed supply of bauxite raw material in the MoU, the company has not received any during its five years operation," Kumar wrote in the letter seeking the state government's help to run the plant.

Also Read: Vedanta calls for India to restrict bauxite exports  (Economic Times)

The company, which made operational its 1mtpa refinery at Lanjigarh in 2007, also stated that it could not use the plant to its full capacity during the last five years.

"Though we arranged raw material from other states, it was not possible anymore due to environmental clearance in many places. VAL also could not arrange bauxite from Gujarat as the state government preferred to export the raw material," Kumar said.

Under such a situation, the company incurred a loss of about Rs 2,500 crore for running the refinery at Lanjigarh, he said in the letter.

The VAL COO also requested the state government to help it by providing the raw material for running the refinery plant after December 5.

"If situation improves within 90 days, the company may not shut down the plant," he said.

The company has so far invested Rs 9,000 crore in the project which provided employment to 7,000 people including direct jobs to 3,000 persons, the COO said.

Though the company applied for 26 bauxite reserves in the state, nothing was finalised due to different reasons.

The company required 10,000 ton of bauxite every day to feed its 1mtpa refinery plant.

Steel and mines minister R K Singh said "We have not received the letter. The government will examine VAL's issue after getting the letter."

Courtesy: Business Standard

Govt. Must Provide Bauxite in Odisha to Vedanta: Demand Locals

A never-seen-before agitation supporting industrialization in Odisha brought life to a standstill. Thousands of people in Kalahandi district’s Lanjigarh area and adjacent places like Biswanathpur, Daikhal, Ambodala etc. protested and shouted slogans demanding allocation of bauxite to the alumina refinery of Vedanta Aluminum Limited (VAL) in Lanjigarh.
The people in these regions came to the streets on August 29, 2012 and observed a one day bandh. Due to scarcity of bauxite, VAL had to run its refinery at 40-50 percent of its capacity. If this situation continues, then it is anticipated that there will be a stoppage of production at Lanjigarh. The locals fear that this would lead to loss of jobs and affect livelihood.
The protest was prominent in Lanjigarh and was spearheaded by Lanjigarh Anchalika Vikash Parishad. Sridhara Pesnia, president of the Anchalika Vikas Parishad said that the people in Lanjigarh were disappointed as their future appears to be in the dark since no bauxite mine has been allotted to Vedanta.
“The alumina refinery should be provided bauxite from Odisha. The state and central govt. must ensure this, else the local people will be affected. Thousands of localities depend on the refinery for their livelihood. We will go to the Chief Minister and if required to Delhi to meet the Prime Minister in future if bauxite mine is not provided to Vedanta”, added Pesnia.
Few days ago, nearly two thousand localities of Lanjigarh area staged a demonstration demanding bauxite mines for the Company.

Vedanta Supports Quality Education For Tribal Children

 Vedanta through its Foundation has funded education for 100 children in the tribal-dominated Rayagada district of Odisha with an objective of providing an equal opportunity to underprivileged children from the tribal population, including Dongria Kondhs, to pursue formal education.

In the first phase of the project, Vedanta Foundation has sent 63 tribal students between 5-8 years of age to Kalinga Institute of Social Science (KISS), Bhubaneswar – the sister concern of KIIT. The rest 37 students would be sent there in the second phase. In this regard a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) has been signed between Vedanta Foundation, KISS and Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Lanjigarh. Vedanta Foundation would be supporting the project with an amount of Rs. 25 Lakhs per annum.

Appreciating the initiative, Mr. Balabhadra Majhi – Former SC & ST Minister, Govt. of Odisha, said, “Vedanta’s effort to provide quality education for the upliftment of tribal children is commendable. I am thankful to the corporate house for this noble cause. I hope more such attempts will be undertaken by Vedanta.”
Speaking about the initiative, Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO – VAL said, “As a responsible corporate it is our prime responsibility to provide quality education to the tribal children around us because it is the only medium which can bring them into mainstream and help them live a better life. Quality education would ensure a bright future for these children and eventually, bring prosperity to the community.”
Beneficiary students of this project have been identified from Bissumcuttack, Muniguda and Kalyansinghpur blocks of Rayagada district which is predominantly inhabited by Dongria Kondh community.

To Save VAL Lanjigarh Refinery

Tribals, officials take to streets on shutdown talk

 As the news spread that London-based Vedanta Aluminium Limited is planning to shut down its Lanjigarh alumina refinery unit in Orissa’s Kalahandi district, over 5,000 people gathered at Lanjigarh and urged the state and Union governments to ensure that the VAL authorities reconsider their decision and stay on at the place.

According to sources in the VAL, the company has virtually stopped operations of its one-million-tonne refinery because of non-availability of bauxite, the principal raw material of the facility.

The people who gathered under the leadership of Sridhar Pensia said at least 4,000 people who are directly and indirectly involved in the project work will be on the streets if the plant was closed down for good.

Hundreds of women of Lanjigarh, a tribal-dominated village, said the local people will be deprived of quality education, healthcare facilities and good connectivity they availed after the company established its 4,500-crore project.

In the afternoon, over 600 employees of the VAL and its associatee partners also held a demonstration in front of the plant protesting the Union and state government’s dilatory approach to ensure bauxite linkage to the project.

Also Read:

Tribals, officials take to streets on shutdown talk (Deccan Chronicle)

Vedanta to Close lanjigarh Plant  (Financial Express)

Vedanta may temporarily shut down Odisha refinery  (Business Standard)

The fate of the one-million-tonne refinery project has been pushed into uncertainty because of unavailability of bauxite. The company is incurring losses of 3 to 4 crores a day. Although the Vedanta was pledged Niyamgiri bauxite reserve close to its plant facility, it has failed to get the same because of opposition from green activists and a number of litigations which are pending for disposal.

Courtesy: Asian Age

Vedanta Conducts Safety Awareness Campaign

As part of the regular activity to aware the employees and workers about safety measures, a week-log campaign was organised at Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Lanjigarh which was concluded here on August 15, 2012.

The 7-day long Safety Awareness Campaign was started on 7th August with several awareness activity and competitions as part of the programme. The prime focus of the awareness programme was the Safety March around the alumina refinery of VAL at Lanjigarh which was led by Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO – VAL, Lanjigarh. Including the senior officials of VAL and its associated partners, all other employees participated in the march.

Speaking on the occasion Dr. Mukesh Kumar said, “Safety of the employees and workers remains the highest priority for VAL. We definitely celebrate the safety Week, but with an intention to make our workers aware about safety and to make the daily life safe, we have organised this safety week. We will organise such safety awareness programmes regularly for the safety of everybody working here.”

All senior officials of VAL-Lanjigarh participated in the safety awareness programmes such Mr. Bimalananda Senapati, Head-Operations; Mr. KR Kundu, Head-HR; Mr. Rabi Narayan Mishra-Head, Health, Safety and Environment and Mr. BS Mund, Head-Power Plant. However, Pramod Kumar, Suniti Dhal and Soumya Ranjan Nayak played vital roles to make the safety Awareness Campaign successful.

The week-long schedule included various awareness programmes related to safety such as drawing, painting, quiz, road safety campaign, essay etc. among employees of VAL and its associated partners.
 

 

Putting Kalahandi on Global Map – Jogabyas

“All is in the mind” says Jogabyas Bhoi. This is a story of tenacity and grit displayed by an ordinary Kalahandian who desired to scale new heights since childhood. At first, having scaled Niyamgiri, he realized that it is important for him to go beyond.

“We found a spark in him” remarks Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO-Vedanta Aluminium, Lanjigarh. Perhaps afterwards Jogabyas never looked back. Backed by support from Vedanta Aluminium and District Administration, Jogabyas scaled Mt Everest on April 16, 2012.

Jogabyasa with his students at VAL refinery

Now the bar has been raised. “I wish to groom young talent of Kalahandi in the field of mountaineering. We have formed “Odisha Mountaineering Trust” which aims to provide platform for such talent”, says Jogabyas. Perhaps the never-say-die attitude led to the first expedition with a batch of five students led by Jogabyas to move up to the base camp of Mt Annapurna in Nepal. All the students hail from Kalahandi district.

Back home, Jogabyas along with his students also visited Vedanta Aluminium, Lanjigarh Refinery. He agrees that corporate like TATA, Vedanta and others share the determination to bring change in lives of people and make India proud. He believes to add a new vibrant identity to Kalahandi both nationally and globally as a powerhouse which churns several maintainers of repute. Recently several maintainers from other parts of the country expressed their desire to visit Kalahandi, adds Jogabyas.

Also Read: Vedanta Aluminium helps Jogabyasa Bhoi to conquer Mt. Everest

Also Read: Everest glory for Oriya

 Manas Ranjan, student of Jogabyas from Rupra , Kalahandi aims to climb Mt. Pandim in Sikkim Himalaya range. “Nobody has scaled to the summit and I want to make history” says Manas. This 14-yr old youngster is yet to complete his 10th standard.

It is a fact that there are many youngsters who are indeed good maintainers. But lack of proper systems and platform is a hurdle. However it does not deter Jogabyas. “I have been blessed by Dr APJ Abdul Kalam who said I will definitely go places in life,” remarks Jogabyas.

Life is a journey and these five mountaineers led by Jogabyas have big plans to put Kalahandi on the global map of Mountaineering.

Paper on Social Dimensions of Vedanta – Lanjigarh Alumina Refinery in International Journal

 


Dr. Mukesh Kumar

  Millennium Development Goals are a set of 8 Goals propounded by the Millennium Declaration and ratified to be achieved in a phased manner by 2015 by all United Nations Member States during the Millennium Summit in the year 2000.

The Paper titled, “Industry and Millennium Development Goals: The Case of Vedanta Aluminium Limited – Lanjigarh” published in the International Journal of Social Science Tomorrow (IJSS) authored by Dr. Mukesh Kumar, Chief Operating Officer, Vedanta Alumina Refinery, Lanjigarh and Anil Ota, Sustainability Officer, Vedanta Alumina Refinery, Lanjigarh provides a perspective view based on information and data collected from credible statistical sources and verified through a comprehensive empirical exercise conducted on randomly selected sample respondents at Lanjigarh endeavor at illustrating the community empowerment interventions of Vedanta Aluminium Limited – Lanjigarh commensurating the Millennium Development Goals and the benefits that it has percolated to the study area in general and the local population in particular in augmenting their Quality of Living (QoL). The paper can be accessed at the website: http://www.ijsst.com/vol1_issue5.php


Also Read: Aluminium Industry Can Make Odisha Prosperous, Says Dr. Mukesh Kumar

Ashram Building Inaugurated for 30 Orphan Children at Bhawanipatna

The fate of 30 orphan children in Kalahandi district of Odisha took a different turn – thanks to Hemant Mund and his wife Sunanda Mishra who are parenting the kids like their own family at Bhawanipatna. The 30 children – who were adopted by Mr. Mund from tribal dominated places of the district – have a home to live, dreams to fulfill with a nice parent.

With the name of ‘Bal Gopal Seva Niketan’, Hemant was running the orphanage school at his home earlier. However, thanks to Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh, Member of Parliament (MP) Mr. Bhakta Charan Das and the then MP for their financial support. Now the children have a newly constructed Ashram to live with good infrastructure.

On July 3, 2012, the new Ashram for the 30 orphan children was inaugurated by the MP Bhakta Charan Dash in presence of Chief Information Commissioner Mr. Satyananda Mishra and Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President and COO Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh.

On the occasion, an emotional Hemant says, “I am happy for my children for their new home. Vedanta arranged a land for the Ashram at Bhawanipatna and later helped us to build the building for the children. I am thankful to the corporate house for their kind support in the noble cause.” Hemant also extended gratitude to Mr. Satyananda Mishra for helping him and giving guidance all the time.

Hemant and his wife not only providing food and a home, they also ensure that the children get good education as all are doing well in different schools. The couple takes special care to impart spiritual education to them. All the children have become experts in reciting Gita and Vedic hymns. They have also displayed their skills in New Delhi, Mumbai, Ranchi and Bhubaneswar and won accolades.

Hemant and his wife dine and sleep together with the children and take special care like their own kids.

‘Aluminium Industry can generate employment to 7mn people’

The Aluminium Demand in the country may touch around five million ton by 2015 and 10 million ton by 2020 which can generate employment for nearly 7 million people in the country by 2020, said Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO – Vedanta Aluminium Limited, at a recently held seminar on “Prospects of Alumina and Aluminium Industry in Odisha”. Many eminent Scientists, Academicians, Engineers interacted on the importance of Bauxite, Alumina & Aluminium for the development of Odisha.

The seminar, organized by Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers, was also attended by Padmashree PK Jena; Academician Prof. Omkar Nath Mohanty; Mr. H. P. Mishra–Former Chairman, IPICOL; representatives from NALCO and State Pollution Control Board.

Dr. Mukesh Kumar also pointed out that Odisha is blessed with High Quality Aluminium Reserves and based on the present analysis nearly 60% of India’s reserves are available in Odisha. However, this wealth of natural resources could not be translated into economic prosperity for the state. The availability of such vast natural resources could have been used for turning the Mineral and Metal potential of Odisha into a gold mine and eradicating poverty but unfortunately the State is still reeling under the crunch of chronic poverty without realizing the benefits of these natural resources.

“Besides employment generation, the Industry can contribute nearly Rs. 33000 crore annually to the exchequer. If immediate measures are not taken to boost Aluminium Production domestically, even the targets of electrifying all the villages also will be difficult to achieve in absence of electricity distribution network which is the main consumer of Aluminium in the country”, he further added.

He also said, “India and particularly Odisha where lies the main depository of the Aluminium Reserves in the country could not take the advantage of its mineral wealth and thereafter not even a single Alumina Refinery and Smelter could have been put up in the State even after 25 years of commissioning of NALCO project. The Vedanta Integrated Aluminum Complex set up in Odisha also is forced to run at lower capacity as no Bauxite from the State could be made available to the Project.”

Vedanta Commits to Environment; To Plant One Lakh Sapling At Lanjigarh

 Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL), Lanjigarh, celebrated World Environment Day on June 5, 2012 by organizing a massive plantation programme  involving all the Vedanta & its associate employers & families. On the occasion, Dr. Mukesh Kumar, President & COO informed that nearly one lakh saplings will be planted in and around the plant this year as part of our commitment towards making the area green and to improve the ecology of the area.

 The Environment Day Celebration at Lanjigarh commenced with plantation in the plant premises and at Resettlement and Rehabilitation colony viz. Niyamgiri Vedanta Nagar in which all employees of VAL and its Associated Partners participated.

Inaugurating the programme, Dr. Mukesh Kumar further impressed upon the principle of sustainable development through sustainable waste management & adopting best environmental practices. He said, “Our mission is to make a forest inside the plant instead of building a plant inside the forest.” He also reiterated on the initiatives and the road-map VAL-Lanjigarh has prepared to make optimum utilization of natural resources through recycling and recovering of wealth from waste and making VAL-Lanjigarh the first alumina refinery across the globe to have zero waste in addition to being a zero discharge plant.

This year the theme of World Environment Day is “Green Economy, Does it include you?” At VAL, for awareness on environment, competitions on Slogan and painting were organized among the employees of VAL and other associated companies as well as among the school children. The day-long programme also includes an awareness march organized at the VAL Township by all the families of Vedanta’s employees & school children followed by plantation and prize giving ceremony to the winners of various competitions.



An Endeavor to Empower Women at Lanjigarh

To improve options of income generation of local women through locally viable group enterprises, Vedanta Aluminium Limited, Lanjigarh in collaboration with Integrated Child Development Serves (ICDS) on May 17-18 organized a special training program with the theme ‘Book keeping, Record keeping and Benefits of SHG Formation’ at Niyamgiri Vedanta Nagar Community Centre & Kenduguda village respectively covering 93 women members from 11 Self Help Groups.

VAL, Lanjigarh conducted the training programme under the project Sashakti. So far 22 SHG’s have been strengthened covering 236 women in 12 villages. During the session, a detailed training was imparted by Child Development Programme Officer (CDPO), Lanjigarh Block Smt. Laxmibai Guru. The CSR Team of VAL along with Niharika Sahu, Sweety Mukherjee facilitated the training session. The Training was based on the important aspects of SHG like Concept of Self Help Groups (SHG’s), Need of SHG’s, formation, rules and regulations, mobilization and managing savings, roles and responsibilities and book keeping.

Many practical exercises were carried out through demonstrations like understanding the Umbrella concept thereby making them aware of mother and child care. A graph was also shown to make the SHG members aware of the stages of child development. The SHGs were made aware of the role and functions of Anganwadi workers and how they can facilitate the work.

The objective of the training programme was to improve options of income generation of local women through locally viable group enterprises by way of thrift and credit habit among the women and thereby enhance their quality of life ensuring their empowerment in family and social decision making process.