. | . |
Indian state challenges govt over Vedanta mine Bhubhaneswar, India (AFP) March 9, 2011 The Indian state of Orissa has filed a Supreme Court case challenging the national government's decision to block Vedanta Resources' plan to mine bauxite in the region. Last August the environment ministry in New Delhi struck down plans by the state-owned Orissa Mining Corporation (OMC) and Vedanta subsidiary Sterlite Industries to mine bauxite to supply Vedanta's nearby aluminium refinery. The mine was rejected by environment minister Jairam Ramesh, who sharply criticised British company Vedanta for showing "blatant disregard" for local tribal groups in the eastern Indian state who deem the land as sacred. Raghunath Mohanty, the steel and mines minister of Orissa, on Wednesday said the state would fight for the mine to be opened. "The state government moved a petition before the Supreme Court on Tuesday challenging the ministry of environment's ban on bauxite mining in the Niyamgiri hills," he said. Vedanta, whose goal of being a major global commodities player rests on development of its Indian assets, has suffered a series of setbacks in the country. In October 2010 the environment ministry denied the company permission to expand its aluminium refinery in Orissa, citing opposition from locals who said it would wreck the area's fragile eco-system. The company is also awaiting a decision by the central government on its proposal to buy a controlling stake in Cairn India, an energy company which has been developing the nation's biggest onshore oil field, the Mangala deposit in Rajasthan.
Share This Article With Planet Earth
Related Links Global Trade News
Global Witness wary over China, DR.Congo deal Kinshasa (AFP) March 8, 2011 Global Witness Tuesday criticised as opaque a $6 billion infrastructure-for-mining deal between the Democratic Republic of Congo and China, saying it could not be monitored. The ambiguity of the deal, never published by the parties, made it hard to measure whether its pledges were being met, the watchdog body said, also raising concerns about some provisions. DR Congo has promised Chines ... read more |
|
The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2010 - SpaceDaily. AFP and UPI Wire Stories are copyright Agence France-Presse and United Press International. ESA Portal Reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement,agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by SpaceDaily on any Web page published or hosted by SpaceDaily. Privacy Statement |