Monday, July 27, 2009

Vedanta should set up the university in the backward KBK where the company is establishing its aluminium plant: former union minister K C Lenka

Lenka fumes over Vedanta varsity Bill
The Statesman, July 27, 2009

BHUBANESWAR, 26 JULY: Former Union minister, Mr KC Lenka, today voiced his protest against the proposed Vedanta University for which a Bill has been introduced in the Assembly.
Mr Lenka alleged that the 6,000 acres sought for the project will be used in real estate business and not for the university.
"If Vedanta group of industries is so keen on education, they should set up the university in the backward KBK (erstwhile undivided Koraput-Bolangir-Kalahandi districts) region where the company is establishing its aluminium plant," said Mr Lenka.
He also questioned why the government had hurriedly introduced a Bill at the fag end of the current session.
"The Bill may be passed in the Assembly but poor farmers of affected villages will never allow the project," he said.
Several Opposition Congress members had raised objections when the Bill was introduced in the Assembly yesterday.
Earlier the Bill had, in fact been listed during the last Session of the Assembly prior to the 2009 elections but several legislators, cutting across party lines had pleaded for time saying it required detailed examination as it involved a lot of related legislations and complexities.
The government had agreed to this view and prosponed the introduction of the Bill. It may be noted here that Mr Umaballav Rath, former Congress leader who switched over to the BJP before the last elections, has been leading a movement against the project in Puri-Konark belt.

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