Green Kalahandi to launch Satyagraha against Vedant plant

Bhubaneswar, May 14 (UNI) Green Kalahandi, a social outfit, backed by Opposition Congress and the Left parties today announced to launch an indefinite satyagraha to protest Vedant Alumina Limited (VAL) decision to set up an Alumina Plant at Lanjigarh, in drought prone Kalahandi district.

Stating that the VAL project in Kalahandi will bring misery to farmers and destroy the ecology of Kalahandi, Bolangir and Phulbani, Green Kalahandi Convenor Bhakta Charan Das said under no circumstances would people of Kalahandi allow the VAL to operate.

At a joint press conference here, Congress President Jayadev Jena, CPI(M) State Secretary member Santosh Das and CPI Assistant Secretary Ashish Kanungo alleged that an unholy alliance existed between VAL chief Anil Agarwal and Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and demanded a CBI inquiry into the matter.

They alleged that violating all norms and guidelines of forest and environment clearance, the state government had allowed the VAL to set up the Alumina plant in Lanjigarh against the interest of the people of Kalahandi and the state.

They said the people of Kalahandi will resort to a ''jail bhoro'' agitation from June 16 in support of their demand and put up checkgates at many places to prevent vedant vehicles from entering the area.

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