KORAPUT: Traffic was hit for nearly five hours on the road leading to Nalco mining area at Damanjodi following a road blockade staged by villagers at Mathalput demanding supply of drinking water by the company on Wednesday. No Nalco employee was able to enter the mining area during the agitation.

The agitating villagers alleged that they used to get water from pipes laid by Nalco in Mathalput but all of a sudden Nalco authorities blocked the pipelines on Tuesday. "The Nalco authorities have deliberately blocked the pipeline. We demand immediate restoration of drinking water supply to Mathalput," said Suresh Saunta, president of Panchpatmali Peripheral Progressive Union (PMPPU).

Villagers from Mali Parbat are willing to compensate state for its loss in royalty from bauxite mines

Villagers protesting against Hindalco’s plan to mine bauxite at Mali Parbat in the Koraput district in Odisha have come up with a unique proposal that offers to compensate the state for its loss in revenue from royalty. Forty one villages from the district, two thirds of whose largely tribal population live below poverty line, have proposed to soon pass panchayat resolutions promising to pay . 35 crore, or what they estimate will be the royalty Hindalco is likely to pay the state over 15 years of the project’s life. Hindalco estimates that its industrial activity in the backward region will earn the state three to four times as much.

Company, however, not keen on selling alumina to Vedanta as they are competitors, say Nalco sources

National Aluminium Company (Nalco), which has an exportable alumina surplus of nearly one million tonne per annum, stands to gain Rs 250 crore if it agrees to sell the intermediate product to its competitor - Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL). The business deal, though apparently lucrative, is not tempting enough for Nalco, which prefers to export the surplus alumina.

Aluminium giant NALCO is setting up its second Wind Power Plant in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan with a capacity of 47.6 MW.

The Rs 283 crore Wind Power Project will be executed at Ludarva in Jaisalmer district through M/s Gamesa Wind Turbines Private Ltd, which involves erection of 56 Wind Turbines, each of 850 KW rating, NALCO sources said on Thursday. This is the second green initiative of NALCO towards promoting sustainable development by harnessing unconventional and renewable energy sources, which would credit the 'Navaratna' PSU with incentives from the government.

PSU firm prefers to export the product board to take up the matter in its next meeting

After its alumina refinery at Lanjigarh was shut due to lack of bauxite, now operations at Vedanta’s aluminium smelter in Odisha have been hit by shortage of alumina. Time and again, Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) has asked National Aluminium Company Limited ( Nalco), which has surplus alumina, to sell it the commodity at a premium, but in vain. B L Bagra, director (finance) of Nalco, confirmed VAL had offered to pay a premium over Nalco’s export price. However, he added the company’s strategy was to export alumina. Others said Nalco’s move was triggered by the company’s reluctance to encourage competition. Nalco and VAL are competitors; both manufacture and sell aluminium.

The state energy department has rejected the plea of Jharsuguda-based SMC Power Generation to waive off energy duty imposed on it citing the explanation provided by the company as unsatisfactory.

“It was observed that the reasons stated regarding attrition at the company were not sound enough to be considered and even the delay in documentation was on account of defects and deficiencies found at the company plant during inspection,” said Chief Secretary B K Patnaik, presiding over the meeting on SMC Power plea.

Slamming Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for opposing disinvestment of Nalco, Union Mines Minister Dinsha Patel today said there was a move to offload 30 per cent stake in the aluminium giant when Patnaik was at the Centre.

The government, now is discussing selling off only 12.5 per cent stake. "When Naveen Patnaik was Union Mines minister, there was a move by the then NDA government for 30 per cent disinvestment in Nalco. However, now discussions are on for divesting only 12.5 per cent in the Navaratna PSU," Patel told reporters here.

The state energy department has proposed to impose a special cess on industrial water consumers for maintenance of water reservoirs. The proposal is aimed at reducing energy tariff as hydro power generators include maintenance expenditure while quoting rates for sale of electricity.

"A corpus should be created by imposing a levy on the industries drawing water from different reservoirs for the purpose of maintenance of reservoirs and water sources by making periodical dredging and removal of shoals,” energy secretary P K Jena wrote to the water resources department.

State-owned aluminium maker National Aluminium Co Ltd (Nalco), which cut up to eight per cent capacity last year, will shut more over the next fortnight.

“We are looking to shut down three-four per cent capacity, as the prices of imported and e-auctioned coal are unviable,” said B L Bagra, director (finance), Nalco. Aluminium requires huge quantities of power, generated by burning coal. Close to 12 per cent of Nalco’s coal requirement is met through imports and e-auction and the rest is supplied by state-run miner Coal India Ltd.

The state government paid over Rs 69.36 lakh from the state exchequer to lawyers in the last four years to fight cases of steel and mines department pending in courts.