Vedant Univ to cover up murky bauxite deal: Congress

Bhubaneswar, July 20 (UNI) The Opposition Congress in Orissa today dubbed the signing of MoU for Vedant University by state government as a conspiracy to cover up the ''illegal bauxite deal'' with the Vedant Alumina Limited(VAL) Chairman Anil Agarwal.

The Anil Agarwal Foundation had signed the MoU with the Orissa government for setting up of a Rs 15,000 crores Vedant University, described as a world class multi disciplinary University, the first of its kind in India.

The Orissa government while welcoming the project had agreed to provide 8000 acres of prime land on the Puri-Konark marine drive and complete administrative autonomy to the University.

Orissa Pradesh Committee President Jayadev Jena and former Union Minister Srikant Jena today told newsmen that the proposed Vedant University mooted by Mr Agarwal was nothing but aimed at diverting the attention of the people of the state on the ''murky deal'' and a conspiracy to cover up Rs 50,000 crore bauxite ore scam.

The PCC president said Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik could go to any extent to help Vedant Aluminium Limited(VAL) Chairman Anil Agarwal to 'loot' valuable bauxite ore deposits in the state.

He said the signing of MoU with Anil Agarwal Foundation for a University was nothing but a face saving device aimed at giving recognition to the illegal deal that the state government had entered with the VAL by allowing bauxite mining.

The PCC chief said the OMC and the VAL had signed an agreement on the utilisation of 150 million tonnes of bauxite deposits by the latter almost at no cost which he described as a criminal offence.

The Congress, he said, would expose the deal and continue the agitation till it was scrapped and the Chief Minister was booked on the charges of fraud and showing undue favour to the private company at the cost of the state exchequer.

Eds here picking up from opening para of CA 16 XXX Former Union Minister xxx.

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