Vedanta update
Published by MAC on 2007-02-13
Vedanta update
13th Feburary 2007
Vedanta's BALCO subsidiary is to benefit from construction of a 42km road to its Bodai-Daldali mines in eastern Chhattisgarh state. This will enable the company to increase extraction of bauxite, much of which is currently being shifted to its illegal refinery in neighbouring Orissa.
The remainder is going to its huge aluminium complex in Korba where a major increase in coal-fired electricity is underway, or being planned.
Following last month's publication of a damning expose of Vedanta's exploitation of its workforce in Korba, India's Centre of Indian Trade Unions (CITU) has demanded an official investigation into funding of political parties in India by Vedanta's executive chairman, Anil Agarwal.
The issue was first raised at last August's company shareholders meeting in London. Now,CITU claims, the payments are illegal, since foreign companies are forbidden from financially supporting Indian politicians.