NALCO faces resistance over acquisition of already acquired land, asks for Odisha Govt help
Bhubaneswar: Public sector Aluminum major NALCO, which is undertaking a capacity expansion plan, is facing stiff resistance from the local people over land acquisition. The PSU has now shout Odisha government help to sort out things.
NALCO is undertaking expansion of its Alumina Refinery with addition of 1.0 Million Ton Per Annum (MTPA) with an investment of more than Rs.5000 Crore. But the expansion is facing resistance from the local villagers in general and specifically Amba Gaon in particularly. While NALCO is expanding its capacity within its acquired land, but outside the existing boundary, villagers are resisting expansion, resulting stalemate condition.
Looking at the stalemate condition, Union Secretary Ministry of Mines Anil G Mukim has recently requested the State Government to help out NALCO in easing the stalemate.
State Government will have to issue necessary instructions to the District Administration of Koraput to sort out the issues, said sources in the Department of Steel & Mines. Sources said that Mr.Mukim feels that delay in project execution of new project will lead to cost escalation.
Similarly Ministry of Mines has also approached the State Government to sort out the issues for operating of Utkal-D Coal Block in Chendipada in Angul District by NALCO.
Utkal-D Coal Block was allocated Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and had been de-allocated. De-allocation was effected by Ministry of Coal on the basis to recommendations made by the Inter Ministerial Group (IMG). And Utkal-D was allocated to NALCO along with Utkal-E to meet the captive requirement of the Aluminium Major. While Utkal-D Coal Block has been allocated to NALCO, the prior allotte, OMC is needed to handover DGPS Survey, TOPO Sheet for submission to Ministry of Environment & Forest and Climate Change(MoEF&CC) for processing Stage-I Forest Clearance of the Coal Block. Even though the land has been vested in NALCO, mutation process is yet to be completed. In this case, OMC and District Administration of Angul will have to take necessary steps in sorting out the issues.