Odisha CM assures Vedanta Chairman of regularising bauxite supply by 2016 end

Anil Agarwal, Chairman of Vedanta Resources, the London-based metal and mining conglomerate, said he is hoping the issue of bauxite supply for its Lanjigarh alumina refinery will get resolved by the end of this year. Agarwal said this after meeting Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik in Bhubaneshwar yesterday, where he also made an announcement of investing INR100 crore on a medical college hospital in backward Kalahandi district in the state.

"We have been assured by the chief minister to get bauxite through the state run Odisha Mining Corporation by March next," Agarwal told media.  

Agarwal said his company had made huge investments in the state since more than a decade now but they were yet to reap any benefits out of that. Vedanta's Lanjigarh alumina refinery has been reeling under bauxite paucity due to which the company was forced to halve its capacity in December last year.

On main problem of his facility in Odisha, Agarwal said, "It is bauxite, bauxite and bauxite." The company has invested INR50,000 crore of FDI in Odisha, but its refinery and smelter plants are running with only 40 per cent capacity," he said adding though the capacity of alumina refinery is presently 2 MTPA, it could be expanded to 6 MTPA in future with proper availability of bauxite. Several efforts on the part of the state to arrange for a secured and undisrupted supply source of bauxite for the company from adjoining Niyamgiri hills have proved futile in all these years.

Nevertheless, Agarwal didn't lose hope. He said, "I hope more excitement in future as Odisha is the land of potential." "The chief Minister himself told his officials at the meeting that as Vedanta has made huge investment, it is our responsibility to support him."  

Agarwal also expressed his company's interest to expand Aluminium Park project in Jharsuguda. He said the project will open up avenues of growth for local entrepreneurs.

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