BHAWANIPATNA: Truck operators of Kalahandi, who are engaged in transportation of bauxite ore of Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) from railway heads to its refinery plant at Lanjigarh, are going without work as the VAL has failed to get permission from railways to unload bauxite in the stations located in Kalahandi.
To operate its refinery, VAL is importing bauxite and coal from outside by railway rakes. After the bauxite is unloaded, it is transported to plant site by hired trucks. In February 2007 VAL got permission to unload bauxite at Kesinga station.
However, to facilitate unloading of fertiliser and grains, railway authorities stopped bauxite unloading work at Kesinga in the fourth week of July.
Fresh permission is yet to be given to resume unloading. Similarly on September 2, 2008, VAL got approval for a period of six months to use Rupra road station for unloading bauxite. So accordingly it developed a railway siding, but by the time the siding work was over, the six months time had expired. Extension is yet to be granted despite repeated requests by VAL. In this situation, VAL is unloading bauxite in Dahikhal station in Rayagada district.
Against the requirement of 15,000 tonnes per day, only about 5,000 tonnes are now being handled there. In such a situation it is becoming difficult to get required quantity of bauxite to run the plant, said chief operating officer of VAL Mukesh Kumar.
Due to this development, more than 150 truckers affiliated to Kalahandi Truck Owners’ Association and labourers engaged in loading and unloading have turned idle. The association in a memorandum to VAL and Collector has demanded an early solution to the problem. General secretary of Bhawanipatna branch of Kalahandi Truck Owners’ Association Artabhanjan Chand said during discussion with VAL on August 10, head of commerce Rajesh Mohata promised in writing that if unloading permission is granted by the railways, VAL will unload 20-30 rakes at Kesinga/ Rupra road station.
The problems of VAL do not end there. The Green Kalahandi outfit of MP Bhakta Charan Das and his close associates are strongly opposing all activities of VAL. They are also protesting unloading of bauxite in stations in Kalahandi by VAL saying it causes pollution. Green Kalahandi and anti-VAL activists staged a demonstration at Rupra road on July 13 demanding a bar on unloading of bauxite there and submitted a memorandum to railways. Countering it one Yuva Sramik Sangh staged a demonstration and rail roko on August 1 demanding permission for unloading of bauxite at Rupra Road in the interest of labourers.