In 1976, attracted by a rich deposit of 213 million tonnes of bauxite under a laterite soil cover of 3-4 metres in the Gandamardan hills, BALCO applied to the department of mining and geology, Orissa, for a lease of 3,584 ha. In 1981, it got permission to mine over 36 sq km. With an original investment plan of Rs 31.2 crore, BALCO began work. The initial protest was sparked by outrage

LUCKNOW: The energy task force (ETF) headed by the chief secretary gave its nod to the establishment of a 1,980 mw power plant in Bargarh (Chitrakoot) on Friday. For this the state government would sign a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Bajaj Hindustan.

The ETF also looked into the possibilities of the project's expansion by adding another 1,980 mw.