Intensifying their resistance to disinvestment in National Aluminum Company Limited NALCO), the BJD President, Jayaram Pangi who is also the member of Parliament from Koraput and the party general secretary, Iswar Panigrahi on Friday warned the UPA government of more protests if it didn't roll back disinvestment plan immediately.
“THE DECISION to divest 12.15% from NALCO is anti-national and anti-Odisha. The people of Odisha state should be made aware of the central government's policy during the “Padyatra” going to be organised from 2nd October 2012 to 11th October 2012,” Jayarampangi told this
citizen journalist over phone.
Terming it as an 'undemocratic' move, he warned that Congress would have to pay a heavy price for this decision. The minister for higher education, Rabinarayan Nando announced that the party would continue to oppose the decision till the decision is withdrawn. The BJD had staged demonstrations at Damanjodi on 24th September 2012, Angul on 26th September 2012 and at Bhubaneswar on 28th September 2012, as part of its three phase protest.
Hundreds of party workers union leaders, employees associations along with leaders and legislation took out a procession shouting slogans against the center demanding roll back of the decision in Bhubaneswar on Friday last.
“We will go in for a cease work movement if the center did not withdraw its decision to disinvest in the company”, said Niranjan Das, President of NALCO Employees Central Union. BJD legislator and party’s youth wing chief Sanjay Das Burma said: “NALCO is a profit making Navaratna company. The center has taken the decision to provide benefit to private companies which itself is injustice,” he said.
The NALCO’s alumina refinery and Bauxite mines are located at Damanjodi in Koraput district, its smelter and captive power plants are at Angul and the corporate headquarters operates from Bhubaneswar.
