Prime Minister seeks intervention from Odisha CM to grant the Pottangi bauxite mine

Nalco’s deteriorating condition has caught the attention of India’s Prime Minister, Mr. Narendra Modi, who has sent a letter to the Chief Minister of Odisha, urging him to intervene to improve the company’s situation.

Difficulty of viable bauxite procurement has been one of the biggest complaints of the Central PSU. Nalco has been eyeing the Pottangi bauxite mines in the state for quite long but has not yet managed to acquire it.

Modi tell Patnaik that he needs to intervene to speed up mine allotment to the company. The mine is question had been reserved by the Union government as far back as 2007, and even the State government had given its approval in-principle for the Koraput district mine in 2012. However, there were certain conditions imposed by the state that had to be followed by the company in order to access the mines.

Nalco has expanded to its full capacity with the resources they have and are in need of a new site and source for further expansion. The facilities at the Damanjodi and Angul are stretched to capacity and the company requires the Pottangi reserve to feed a new alumina refinery project proposed in the Sundergarh district of Odisha worth INR 5,540 crore.