Wednesday, August 29, 2012

Punish Nalco management for ash pond irregularities: IAC


BHUBANESWAR: The anti-corruption outfit India Against Corruption (IAC) Odisha unit alleged that the Nalco captive power plant will be closed after two months due to the callousness and corruption of the Nalco management. The closure of the plant would directly affect the livelihood of the employees, the outfit members said.

IAC Odisha unit member Nishikant Mahapatra at a Press meet here alleged that the Nalco management is deliberately trying to go against the interest of the profit making Navaratna Company by closing the power plant. In 2003, he said, they got into a contract with MCL to dispose of the ash in the void mines and they took time till 2010 to prepare the project proposal as well as to finish the tendering process. After seven years, the company management gave contract to a company which has dubious standard and doesn’t have the competence and it is now proved because the party has promised for the contract to complete the work within eleven months, but only 30 per cent of the work of the project is completed after 21 months, he added.

Mahapatra said the Nalco has no option as its ash ponds will be over within two months. After two months, Nalco has to close its ash pond because there is no alternative ready to discharge the ash now, he added.

Mahapatra also said the management of the Nalco is responsible for the problem. They should be given severe punishment as per the recommendation of the CBI, the CVC and the CVO of the company, he said, adding, “Simultaneously, the Government and the management should take immediate steps to find out the alternative to dispose of the ash so that Nalco can be saved.”

“We are concerned not only for the livelihood of the 12000 direct employees and their families that will be affected by the closure of the plant, but also the sinister design through which the present management is paving the way for closure of the plant to meet the Alumina need of Vedanta Company as desperately needed by the latter,” Mahapatra said.


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