Fearing loss of job in the event of closure of Vedanta Alumina refinery due to scarcity of bauxite, employees of the unit and other outsourcing firms staged a demonstration here on Tuesday demanding immediate steps to provide raw material to run the plant.
Employees of Vedanta and other associated companies demonstrated at the office of Kalahandi Collector and submitted a memorandum seeking immediate steps to ensure uninterrupted bauxite ore supply for the refinery located at Lanjigarh in the district.
Unable to run the refinery to its full capacity since inception due to scarcity of bauxite, Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) on September 6 informed Odisha government about its plan to shut down the plant from December 5.
Closure of VAL will leave thousands jobless, it was apprehended in the memorandum handed over to the collector.
The company, which made operational its 1mtpa refinery at Lanjigarh in 2007, also stated that it could not use the plant to its full capacity during the last five years.