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Vedanta deprived of awards

Richard — Wed, 23 May 2012 17:02:45 +0000

Vedanta Aluminium’s Indian safety record is tarnished: Now it won’t get two prestigious UK awards

A subsidiary of controversy-dogged UK mining company Vedanta Resources has suffered not just one – but two – serious setbacks in its attempts to portray itself as “accident free”. On Tuesday 15 May, Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) was to receive the prestigious Silver Award from the UK’s Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA) at a ceremony in Birmingham, Britain’s second largest city. This was based on claims, made by VAL to RoSPA, that no-one had been seriously injured at its Lanjigarh bauxite refinery in Orissa during the last reporting period. But, in fact, a VAL employee died in a fire at the Lanjigarh site last month, and several others were injured. Now, in response to vociferous criticisms by activists in India and the UK, including colleagues in London Mining Network, RoSPA has withheld the award, pending further investigation of the company’s safety record. The British Safety Council (BSC) has also suspended making a similar award to VAL at a gala banquet to be held in London last Friday.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11702.

A Third Strike finds Anil Agarwal “Out”: London Calling on new humiliation of Vedanta boss

Yet again, London-listed Vedanta Resources, and its head honcho Anil Agarwal, have fallen foul of international standards. Last week, its VAL subsidiary in Orissa had prestigious awards withdrawn – almost at the last minute – by two UK safety watchdogs. Now we learn that two global industry organisations also pulled their nomination of Mr Agarwal on learning about his company’s sullied record – this time as a “leader” in promoting “business ethics”.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11714.

Vedanta charges ahead in India

Richard — Fri, 11 May 2012 17:15:34 +0000

London-listed Vedanta Resources has yet again fallen foul of Indian law. Its Sesa Goa subsidiary is finally to be prosecuted for alleged fraud connected with iron ore trading. Meanwhile, residents in Goa itself accuse Vedanta of seeking to build a new pig iron smelter under the guise of expanding an existing, highly polluting, plant.

Yet another group of government workers has taken umbrage at the prospect of a deal with Vedanta – this time in Orissa. Last month, staff at child nutrition centres in Karnataka revolted against a move to place the UK company in charge of a government feeding programme. Now, employees at state-run Nalco are protesting against the prospective sale of their alumina to Vedanta’s Jharsaguda smelter. The workers maintain that Nalco “will not only lose precious foreign exchange leading to fall in its profit, it would also pave the way for Nalco’s privatisation. We will not allow this to happen”.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/11674.

See also Vedanta pollution: 22 died of TB in a village, allege tribals, http://www.cgnetswara.org/index.php?id=10774.

Vedanta’s PR Campaign Backfires in India

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 14:01:10 +0000

On a recent visit to Bhubaneswar, the capital of the large eastern state of Odisha, I found the airport plastered with advertisements and slogans expressing the nurturing, socially conscious side — caring for the poor, growth with inclusive values, creating happiness — of the many steel and aluminum companies that have major operations in one of India’s poorest but most mineral-rich and business-friendly states.

The most prominent voice in this cluster belonged to Vedanta, a London Stock Exchange-listed “globally diversified natural resources group with wide-ranging interests in aluminium, copper, zinc, lead, silver, iron ore, oil and gas and power,” headed by Anil Agarwal, one of India’s richest and most controversial businessmen.

Read about what the advertisements did not say…

See http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2012-04-24/mining-company-s-pr-campaign-backfires-in-india.html.

Indian minister halts fresh Vedanta bid to mine Niyamgiri

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:58:03 +0000

India’s environment minister has ordered that the proposal by UK-listed Vedanta to expand its Orissa alumina refinery six fold, be held in abeyance.

The decision seems effectively to put the highly-controversial Nyamgiri mine project on indefinite hold.

However, while clearly describing the ruses employed by Vedanta to get both projects officially approved, a regional peoples’ organisation issues a stark warning: “..Vedanta might try all other tricks to accomplish its dirty agenda…[It] might find a back door [by coming] up with a joint venture project with L&T to mine Kutru Mali and Silji Mali near Kashipur to feed its Lanjigarh plant…”

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11646.

Odisha to withdraw notification from acquisition of 438 acres of private land in Posco site

Richard — Wed, 25 Apr 2012 13:40:40 +0000

The state government of Odisha (Orissa) in India has initiated the process of withdrawal of notifications for acquisition of 438 acres of private land in seven villages in the project site near Paradip.

The recent verdict of Odisha High Court would compel the state government to withdraw the notification from the acquisition of 438 acres of private land of proposed Posco steel plant.

See http://orissadiary.com/CurrentNews.asp?id=33358.

British-based investors in South Korean company POSCO include Barclays, Alliance Bernstein/Alliance Bernstein Global Wealth Management, Foreign and Colonial Investment Trust PLC, and Henderson Far East Income Limited: see http://moneytometal.org/index.php?title=Special%3ASearch&search=Posco&go=Go.

Indian tribe stands firm as Vedanta mine appeal adjourned

Richard — Thu, 12 Apr 2012 14:55:27 +0000

One of the world’s most controversial mines is back in the spotlight after hundreds protested against renewed efforts to mine India’s Niyamgiri Hills. Dongria Kondh and Niyamgiri supporters held their own ‘public hearing’ in Orissa state, where they restated their resolve not to allow mining on their sacred mountain. The meeting coincided with a Supreme Court appeal in Delhi, which sought to overturn a 2010 ruling preventing UK mining company Vedanta from building an open-pit bauxite mine in the Niyamgiri Hills. See http://www.survivalinternational.org/news/8253.

See also Indian tribe’s Avatar-like battle against mining firm reaches supreme court, http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/08/indian-tribe-avatar-supreme-court?newsfeed=true

and Court to rule on mining plan, http://www.independent.co.uk/news/business/news/court-to-rule-on-mining-plan-7626978.html.

India’s Green Tribunal suspends environmental clearance to Posco

michaela — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 09:35:46 +0000

India’s recently-formed Green Tribunal has shown some teeth. It’s ordered the suspension of the environmental clearance, granted just over a year ago, to the country’s biggest proposed industrial project, declaring the earlier process to have been “vitiated in the eyes of the law”. Now the Ministry of Enviornment will have to perform a new Environmental Impact Assessment.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11597.

India: Iron fists in dubious gloves

michaela — Fri, 16 Mar 2012 22:57:34 +0000

The Indian state of Goa has pledged to close down all illegal iron ore mines. That’s welcome news, except that some “legal” outfits – such as Vedanta’s Sesa Goa – have also been accused of profiting from illegal operations. Meanwhile, the world’s second largest iron ore exporter, Rio Tinto, is set to invest US$2 billion in its Orissa iron ore project, claiming it’s already “working with local communities” to secure a social license.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11552.

Vedanta betrays the people – yet again!

michaela — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 23:17:32 +0000

UK-listed Vedanta Resources is rarely out of the headlines, accused of betraying the very people it purports to support and respect. Last week, the company tried to prevent a public hearing into its plans to expand a stalled alumina refinery in the Indian state of Orissa. See: Vedanta in India: a bad project is given thumbs-down. At the same time, a leading Indian magazine revealed that the company had peremptorily abandoned a free education programme for 500 students. This follows the failure of Vedanta’s executive chairman, Anil Agarwal, to get permission to launch a Unversity in the same state.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11534.

Vedanta told to get public nod in Orissa for expansion

michaela — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 21:17:26 +0000

Vedanta Aluminium Ltd has been asked by the government to seek public consent afresh in Kalahandi district of Orissa as a precursor to getting environmental clearance for expanding its alumina refinery and power plant, a move the company wants to avoid as it seeks to get a plan that’s been stalled for two years moving again. The company needs to comply with 70 points, including the public hearing on the expansion plan, shows a copy of the terms of reference (ToR) issued by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) that Mint is in possession of.

See http://www.livemint.com/2012/02/28230237/Vedanta-told-to-get-public-nod.html?atype=tp.

Report of the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights defenders in India

michaela — Fri, 02 Mar 2012 19:41:21 +0000

In the context of the country’s economic policies and despite legal requirements of consultation and rehabilitation, defenders engaged in denouncing development projects that threaten or destroy the land, natural resources and the livelihoods of their community or of other communities have been targeted, increasingly on a joint basis, by State agents and private actors and are particularly vulnerable. [Examples from Assam, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Nagaland, Orissa & elsewhere provided]. The ancestral land, water and resources of Adivasis are part of their identity as well as livelihood. They have been subjected to severe violations of their rights by state Governments and private actors who often act in collusion to exploit such lands which are often rich in minerals and natural resources…

See http://www.business-humanrights.org/Links/Repository/1011411.

India: New Vedanta protests meet with violent “security” response

Richard — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:06:53 +0000

Forty seven Indigenous villagers from Rengopalli, Orissa, were violently arrested on 21 January, as they nonviolently protested against UK-listed Vedanta Resources. The company wanted access to the villagers’ ancestral land for its second “red mud pond”, destined to store toxic wastes from the Lanjigarh alumina refinery. Just two days earlier, Orissa’s High Court had rejected Vedanta’s application for a six-fold expansion of the plant’s capacity. The company sought to initiate a “fresh dialogue” with the Ministry of Environment, claiming this rejection was an act of “discrimation” against it.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11462&l=1.

Orissa High Court dashes Vedanta hopes to expand refinery

Richard — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 18:51:32 +0000

Vedanta Aluminium Ltd tried to get the High Court in the Indian State of Orissa to overturn its decision to stop expansion of the company’s Lanjigarh bauxite refinery. It failed.

See http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-01-19/bhubaneswar/30642318_1_review-petition-vedanta-aluminum-alumina-refinery.…
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Indian villagers march against POSCO oppression

Richard — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:20:12 +0000

Kalinganagar massacre anniversary also commemorated

As 2012 opened, 2000 villagers in the POSCO concession area of Orissa protested against further repression against leaders of the local movement and pledged to halt the project. Elsewhere in Orissa, more than 2,000 tribal people organised a rally marking the sixth anniversary of the Kalinganagar massacre, in which 14 tribals, including three women, were killed.

See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11407&l=1.

India: Vicious attack against POSCO opponents triggers urgent demands

Richard — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 16:30:28 +0000

On 14 December a private force of 500 men descended on a non-violent demonstration against the POSCO project in India’s state of Orissa. Several protestors were injured and one man (apparently from the “goon squad”) died.

The attack was widely condemned by left wing politicians in Orissa, but according to PPSS – the peoples’ organisation formed by local villagers – further action is about to be taken by the state government against the movement’s leadership. Following an investigation on 22 December, a group of Indian civil society organisations has called for an immediate judicial enquiry into the attacks of 14th December 2011.

It is also demanding the withdrawal of all newly-filed and previous false cases against the villagers and PPSS activists. See http://www.minesandcommunities.org/article.php?a=11400.