Congress calls for making Balco PSU again

After the chimney crash, campaign gets off in Korba to make Bharat Aluminium Company Limited (Balco) again a Public Sector Undertaking (PSU).

Sterlite, a group company of Vedanta Inc, had bought 51 per cent stake in Balco for Rs 552 crore when the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government decided to divest the government stake in the public sector company in March 2001.

"We would urge the Union Government to explore legal options to make Balco a PSU again," Leader of Opposition in Chhattisgarh Legislative Assembly, Ravindra Choubey said.

Choubey said that the Balco management was keeping all norms at bay while taking up any project in its site. "This could be possible only if the company enjoyed the protection from the high office in the state government," he alleged. The lives of 41 people could have been saved had the state government acted timely to stop the illegal construction of chimney, Choubey said. On September 23, the under-construction chimney at Balco's proposed power plant collapsed killing 41 persons. The rescue operation took nearly a week to complete.

Choubey said adding that despite serving several notices, Balco continued with the construction work of the chimney underlining that the company was not scared of government agencies.

The only option left was to make Balco a PSU again if there is any provision under the disinvestment law, Choubey said. "Our fight against Balco is to provide justice to the family members of those killed in the incident and punish the guilty officials," he added.

Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress Committee alleged that the state government was not serious to probe the matter. "Even after 10 days, the state government is yet to announce who will conduct the investigation and the points on which the judicial probe will be conducted," State Congress President Dhanendra Sahu said.