NCP opposes government’s agreement with VAL

Newindpress,Nov 27,2007

BHUBANESWAR: General Secretary of the State unit Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) Bijay Mohapatra demanded on Monday that the State Government should scrap agreements signed with the Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) for setting up the University in Puri district and the alumina complex at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district in view of the Supreme Court judgement.

Addressing a news conference here, the NCP leader alleged that the apex court judgement has exposed the undue favour shown to the company by Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and Minister for Steel and Mines Padmanabha Behera.

Now both of them are looking for ways for self defence, he said and added that the State Government should not have any link with such a company. Mohapatra demanded that the reason behind the State Government's decision to hand over 8000 acres of land for establishment of the university should be made public.

He alleged that the Chief Minister is advocating for the company as it had heavily funded the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) in the panchayat polls.

The Supreme Court judgement has questioned the credibility of the company on the issue of financial irregularities and declined to give it permission for bauxite mining on the Niyamgiri hills, Mohapatra said and demanded that the company should be banned in Orissa.