With the availability of bauxite out of sight, even two months after it shut down its Lanjigarh alumina refinery, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) has urged the Odisha government to expedite processing of the applications of state-controlled Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC) for bauxite mining leases.

“We have requested the state government to expedite processing of OMC’s pending applications, especially for those bauxite leases that fall in non-forest areas. These applications are either at the PL (prospecting licence) or ML (mining lease) stage.