Vedanta's false job promises anger local youth

manoranjan Das bsc, llb, mca thought his degrees would get him a job at the Vedanta Alumina refinery in Orissa's Lanjigarh block. He had more reasons; one acre of his family land is now part of the refinery's ash pond. "I sent my resume several times but they didn't reply,' says Das who is unemployed.

Fed up with the "false promises of development and jobs', hundreds of local youth disrupted work at the refinery for four days starting February 12. Blocking all gates to the complex, they refused to let in any truck. The protesters demanded the company should give permanent jobs to those who had lost land to the refinery, or a compensation of Rs 5 lakh