VAL red mud pond issue sparks tension in B’patna

The Pioneer, Jan 5, 2011
PIONEER NEWS SERVICE, BHAWANIPATNA

The red mud pond issue has again sparked tension as the Rengopali villagers staged a dharna on Monday to stop the ongoing works of the Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) for digging a new pond.

Earlier, when the villagers had complained in the civil court regarding the displacement, rehabilitation and service to them, the court had directed the district Collector to look into the matter and accordingly, the VAL executives and the villagers had attended a meeting and Collector Roopa Mishra had reportedly assured that the matter will be resolved soon as per the Restoration and Rehabilitation (RR) policy.

Talking to The Pioneer, VAL COO Mukesh Kumar told that the industry is working as per the existing one million plan adding that the red mud pond has been divided into east and west shell where one pond is almost filled up and another pond’s 90 per cent work has been completed.

Another 10 per cent of the work is pending where the villagers are pressing their demand which is not legal, Dr Kumar viewed.

“The industry is working on the acquired land and not doing anything illegal. Last year, 23 persons of Rengopali village were trained in the ITI by VAL and all of them have been indirectly employed by us,” the VAL COO said.

On the villagers’ demand he said, they had agreed at a meeting held at the Collectorate earlier where the MHU, street-lights and a school bus have already been provided to them.

“We have already fulfilled their demands on the rehabilitation and displacement last year as per the Government’s instructions,” Kumar claimed.

Additional displacement and rehabilitation would be undertaken when the Government approves another 880 hectares of land for the next expansion as already been applied by the VAL, he informed.