Odisha CM slams BJD on malnutrition issue
Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi on Sunday launched a scathing attack on the previous Naveen Patnaik-led Biju Janata Dal government over the malnutrition issue.
Former union minister Srikant Jena on Friday alleged that Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has shown ‘undue favour’ to Vedanta Company by providing the valuable Kodinga mali bauxite ore at a low price of Rs 462 per tonne.
Both the BJP at the Centre and the BJD here are hand in glove with the big corporate houses like Vedanta, charged Jena while releasing an open letter addressed to CM Naveen Patnaik on Friday.
Why was Vedanta not asked to buy bauxite at market price and why has it been given a bonanza of over Rs 3000 per tonne since it will take the ore and sell aluminium at a high cost in the international market, he said.
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The Odisha Mining Corporation which has given the bauxite on long-term basis at Rs 462 per tonne could have also earned ten times more by selling it in the international market as is being done by the Gujarat Mineral Corporation stated Jena.
The bauxite grade in Kodinga mali is much higher than the cement grade one in Gujarat, he said. Odisha has lost over Rs 5,000 crore by way of this favour shown to VAL, he alleged.
Jena said the chief minister should not think that he is the king and the natural resource is his personal wealth, he chided. Sources in the industry and Odisha Mining Corporation, however, denied the allegations and said the entire process was transparent and done as per government policy.
It has been given at cost plus 50 percent and through an auction process in which two others including Hindalco of Aditya Birla group had participated, informed the sources.
Former union minister Srikant Jena warned of a Tamil Nadu like agitation by the people of Rayagada district where the mines are located.
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