Tribal People Support Expansion of Vedanta's Alumina Refinery

Reporter: Kailash Tudu
Email: ktudu1@gmail.com



Bhawanipatna / Lanjigarh (25th April 2009): Today large numbers of dongria kondh and majhi kondh tribal people gathered at the public hearing meeting held at Belemba Village which was meant for the expansion of Vedanta Aluminium’s refinery plant. They showed their willingness as well as passion for supporting this move of the Vedanta by participating in the meeting in large number and by openly supporting the officials from the district administration present there. Around 500 people were there in the gathering. This public hearing was called by the district administration to obtain people's view on the environment clearance of Vedanta Aluminium Limited’s proposed expansion of its Alumina Refinery. It was organized by the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB). The meeting was presided by Mr. Chudamani Seth, ADM, Kalahandi and facilitated by Er. PC Rout of OPSCB.

Several group of people from affected villages such as Belamba, Sindhbahal, Rengopalli, Bandhaguda and Kapaguda attended the meeting. Local villagers demanded that their land should be taken under the expansion project and they should be given benefits as given to rehabilitated people in the Vedanta Niyamgiri Nagar.

They also claimed that expansion of the project will accelerate developmental activities in the area and local people shall be benefited. “We have seen the developmental work of Vedanta and realize what benefit the company can give us, if we give our land. We have no objection if our land goes for a bigger plant,” said Daaka Majhi, one of the villagers from Bandhaguda village, whose land will be taken under the expansion project. “or every positive effort of Vedanta we are at their back and will continue to render support wholeheartedly” he added

A group of people from Belamba village also submitted a memorandum to the government representatives to give their land for the expansion project and avail benefits as per the R&R Policy of the Government of Orissa. Lingaraj Majhi of Rengopalli village also says, “If our land will be included in the expansion project, our fate will be changed. We support the company from its inception and will be happy to give our land for the expansion work.”

“Today’s development shows that the tribal people have started thinking about their future and they have shown interest in supporting as well as involving themselves in all the developmental and promotional activities of Vedanta” said Mr Muktikant Mishra, the founder of MORO ODISHA one NGO working in the area of social sector. “The feeling of belongingness and involvement in the meeting was was clearly visible from their eyes”, Mr Mishra added.