Aditya Birla group may shelve alumina project in Odisha’s Rayagada district

Sambad English Bureau Published On : Dec 12, 2014 at 12:47 AM

Reported by Ranjan Rath
Rayagada, Dec 11:

In the wake of the slump in the price of alumina in the international market, the Aditya Birla Group has said that the possibility of the company shelving its proposed project at Kansariguda of Kashipur block in Odisha’s Rayagada district cannot be ruled out.

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This was informed by the advisor of Aditya Birla Group, Suryakanta Mishra during his visit to the district on Tuesday.

Mishra had a meeting with the district collector Sashi Bhusan Padhi in the presence of the representatives of 13 villages, senior district officials and the authorities of Aditya Birla.

The meeting discussed the causes for the delay in the construction of the alumina plant though the company has acquired the land provided by the district administration through the IDCO.

Between 2000 and 2004, the company acquired 1069 acres of private land in Kansariguda, Kadapadar, Puhundi, Kandhasili, Phulajaba, Sukriput, Podapadi, Anduguda, Mundagan, Tulasichhapar, Mankadajhola, Bankama and Kodinga villages under Kashipur tehsil.

But all that the company has done in the last 14 years is to lay the rail tracks. Construction of the proposed plant has not even started.

Expressing displeasure over the tardy pace of work of the company, the collector informed the Aditya Birla officials that the administration would not hesitate to take back its acquired land if it does not take a decision to set up its plant at the earliest.

“The district administration would take a decision in this regard at a meeting to be presided over by the revenue divisional commissioner (RDC)”, Padhi said after the meeting.

Among others, district SP K Siva Subramani, DFO Hanif Mohammad and ADM Laxmikanta Behera were present at the meeting.

“I had handed over my land to the company in the hope of getting a job and run my family. But as the company is yet to start its project work, my family is now in dire straits,” a worried Dailatram Choudhury, a displaced local, told OST.

Expressing concern, sarpanch of Puhundi panchayat Patidi Majhi said the company, which had taken the homestead land of 141 families of the panchayat, had not taken any step to provide them with alternative livelihood till date.