ANGUL: The agitation by Jibana, Jibika Krushi Surakshya Committee (JJKSC) at Baradamalia village in Kishore Nagar block of the district, opposing setting up of a power plant, has entered its 11th month.

The state government had issued notification to the people for the acquisition of the land for the proposed 1980 MW power plant by J R Power Jain Company two years ago.

The indefinite agitation by people of Jarada village, who lost their land and houses for Kaniha open-cast coalmine, entered its 12th day on Tuesday. Coal production is disrupted as the agitators are not allowing any employees to work.

More than 700 families were affected and 750 acres acquired by the Mahanadi Coalfields Limited(MCL) in 1995. Sources said though 450 families have been provided jobs till now, another 150 affected families are yet to get employment. Demanding jobs and resettlement, the villagers have been staging a sit-in in front of the coalmine main gate at Kaniha since January 24.

The fate of 2400 Mw coal-fired power plant proposed by Odisha Thermal Power Corporation Ltd (OTPCL) now hangs in balance after both its promoters lost coal mines allotted to them.

The company, which claims to have completed the land acquisition process by the end of July 2013, is also undecided over how to start the construction for the Rs 8,000 crore plant as it is in search of a strategic partner to sell its 74 per cent stake.

Bhubaneswa rEven as the National Aluminium Company refinery is facing closure due to want of bauxite, the company chairman-cum-managing director, Ansuman Das, on Monday assured that there would be no problem in meeting the export commitments besides the demand of the smelter.

Stating that the company has commitments for dispatch of two more consignments off Vizag port this month, the CMD said that these two would be met with. According to him, the nominated vessels for the cargo has already started for Vizag port. “We would reschedule the date for other commitments after we come to know the status of the mines by this month end”. He also clarified that there is alumina stock to meet the demand of its smelter at Angul.

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has initiated probe into the contentious joint venture pact between the state-owned Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Delhi-based Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd (SMASL) for coal mining in the state.

Both companies had formed a JV named Kalinga Coal Mining (Private) Ltd for raising coal from Utkal D block in Angul district, allotted to OMC, with an estimated coal reserve of 138 million.

The Supreme Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre and the Orissa government on a plea alleging that majority stake in a coal block, allocated to the state mining corporation, was illegally given to a private company.

The public interest litigation (PIL) has alleged that Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) was divested of the coal block, in Talcher coalfield of Angul district, and the same was handed over to Delhi-based private mining firm Sainik Mining and Allied Services Ltd.

ANGUL: The construction of the gas-based Talcher Fertiliser Revival project will start in six months.

The Supreme Court on Monday admitted a public interest litigation (PIL) on contentious joint venture pact between the state-owned resource company Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) and Delhi-based Sainik Mining & Allied Services Ltd (SMASL) for raising of coal from a block allotted to the former.

In the PIL the petitioner has demanded cancellation of the coal block and CBI probe into the joint venture agreement, where OMC has conceded controlling 74 per cent stake to SMASL. The formation of the JV, named Kalinga Coal Mining (Private) Ltd, is in blatant violation of Coal Mines (Nationalisation) Act-1973, the petitioner argued.

BHUBANESWAR: Even as the Justice MB Saha Commission is investigating the illegal mining activities, the Ministry of Coal has asked the State Government to submit a report on the action taken to cur

At a time when controversy surrounding block allocations has caught different coal bearing states in a bind, the Ministry of Coal has urged the Odisha government to submit its action taken report at the earliest in connection with illegal coal mining activities.

In the light of observations made by the parliamentary standing committee on coal & steel, coal secretary S K Srivastava has asked Odisha chief secretary B K Patnaik to expedite the action taken reports so that they can be compiled and sent to the Lok Sabha secretariat.

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