By Our Correspondent
BHUBANESWAR/JHARSUGUDA: The ruling BJD leaders in Odisha are opposing Central Government PSUs like NTPC-MCL and NCL but supporting Vedanta Group like a most controversial company in Jharsuguda. For Vedanta Group, It Seems Naveen Patnaik can do anything if someone look into the public hearing of the tainted Anil Agarwal led Company at coal bearing Jharsuguda , it will be very clear that the State Government flouting all COVID-19 guidelines and Odisha High Court ruling for Vedanta.
The developments of September 29-30 at Jharsuguda clearly pointed out a very nexus between the State Government and Vedanta Group.Even though a final decision will come out only on October 5, the State Government seems showing undue favour to Vedanta Group.
OSPCB had issued the notification September 27 to hear the grievances of people who are to be affected due to the expansion Vedanta plant. Subrat Bhoi and Tejraj Kumura, both residents of Jharsuguda had challenged the notification on the ground that it violated the order issued by the Special Relief Commissioner August 31.
Vedanta has proposed to expand its existing smelter plant to 18 LPTA, from 16 LPTA and its captive power plant capacity to 1,215 megawatt. The proposed expansion will cost about Rs 1,240 crore. The anticipated capital expenditure for the pollution control measures is about Rs 55 crore. Locals of villages like Brundamal, Katikela, Purna and Kurebaga are apprehensive about displacement.
A written statement of State Forest and Environment Department Minister Bikram Keshari Arukh in the ongoing Assembly session, said that the OSPCB has granted permission for disposal of solid waste from sponge iron plants on 124 acres land in Jharsuguda district. At present, there are 6 functional sponge iron plants in the industrial districts including Bhagwati Steel, Thakur Prasad Sao & Sons, SMC Power, Jay Hanuman Udyog, Seven Star Steel Ltd and LN Metallicks.
The thermal power plant of Odisha Power Generation Corporation Limited (OPGC) at Banharpali disposes the solid waste / ash in four sites,Vedanta Jharsuguda Power Station, a coal based thermal captive power plant located at Banjari near Jharsuguda disposes waste at two sites. The ash ponds of Vedanta are located in Katikela – 192 acres and Kurebag – 43 acres.These two ash ponds at Katikela and Kurebag have the capacity to accommodate 6.17 lakh metric tonne and 5.46 lakh metric tonne solid waste respectively.
Meanwhile, interestingly, local BJD leaders are opposing NOC given by Central Government to NTPC projects at Hirma, Darlipali and border areas of Lakhanpur and Chhatisgarh. They had also urged to cancel the contract of a thermal power plant of Naveli Lignite Corporation (NLC) and its ash pond proposed in Hirma. They also opposing MCL’s operations too but for Vedanta, the local BJD leader are keeping a blind eye and dancing to the tune of Party top brasses in Bhubaneswar, sources said.
