Orissa to continue its opposition to Polavaram project: Naveen

Allotment of alternative bauxite mines to Vedanta being examined

The Orissa government has stated it will continue to oppose the controversial Polavaram project even as the chairperson of the ruling UPA government at the Centre Sonia Gandhi has assured the Andhra Pradesh government that a national status will be accorded to the project.

"We will continue to oppose the Polavaram project because of our concerns of submerging of tribal villages and forest land. We will certainly take steps to ensure that the interest of the state is not disturbed by the project”, state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik told reporters on the sidelines of celebration of 'Investors Day' organized jointly by the Union ministry of corporate affairs and the department of public enterprises of the Orissa government.

Patnaik had recently called on the Prime Minister, apprising him of the concerns of inundation of tribal villages due to the implementation of the Polavaram project. The Prime Minister on his part, had assured the state Chief Minister that the tribal villages will not be allowed to be submerged.

It may be noted that the UPA chairperson in a written communication to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah on Friday had given assurance of a national status to the Polavaram project and had complimented Rosaiah for his initiative in getting clearances for various projects, including Polavaram.

The Central Water Commission had approved various aspects of the project, including its design, while the High Power Steering Committee of the Centre had recommended national status for it.

If national status was finally given, the Centre would meet 90 per cent of its cost as against 25 per cent now under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme (AIBP),

Meanwhile, the Orissa government has stated that the proposal to allot alternative bauxite mines to Vedanta Aluminium is being examined.

"We are examining the issue”, Patnaik said in response to a query on whether the Orissa government would allot alternative bauxite mines to the company in the aftermath of the rejection of the Stage-II forest clearance for extraction of bauxite at Niyamgiri hills.

Vedanta Aluminium had sought alternative bauxite mines from the state government to run its alumina refinery project at Lanjigarh in Kalahandi district. Following its expansion plan from one million tonne per annum (mtpa) to six mtpa , the company needed 18 million tonnes of bauxite per annum to feed its refinery plant.

The alternative sources for extracting bauxite were Sashubohumali, Kuturumali, Bijimali and .