STATESMAN NEWS SERVICE
New Delhi, 31 July
A group of social activists, including novelist Arundhati Roy, today demanded that the London-based mining company, Vedanta Resources, demolish its refineries set up in Odisha’s Niyamgiri hills, give compensation to the displaced people and leave the place for locals.
 "Vedanta has huge resources and it has grown like a country. It has set up refineries in Niyamgiri hills prior to the Supreme Court’s permission," said Ms Roy while addressing  a joint protest demonstration organised by several human rights organisations at Odisha Bhavan here to celebrate the struggle of local people who recently refused to negotiate with Vedanta on mining issues.   
 The Supreme Court in April had stayed Vedanta&’s bauxite mining project in Niyamgiri hills asking the state government and Vedanta to organise meetings with local village councils, and discuss with them the proposal to mine bauxite in Niyamgiri hills, prior to the mining.
 In its order, the apex court gave "gram sabhas" in the Rayagada and Kalahandi districts three months to prepare their reports on whether bauxite mining can be allowed and to what extent.  
 "The Odisha government identified 12 villages to conduct village council meets to prepare the reports. Eight out of 12 village councils have now rejected Vedanta Resources’ proposal to mine for bauxite to source the ore crucial for its alumina refinery," said Ms Roy.
"There is a state-corporate nexus on land grab in the state. There is a nexus with Odisha government, Central government, British government and London Stock Exchange and all are hand-in-glove with each other in this targetted onslaught on people’s resources, livelihood and culture. The local people have resolved that they won’t leave Niyamgiri hills even if they are beheaded. " said Devangana, an activist.
Other activists said the decision of the Odisha government to hold gram sabhas in only 12 villages willfully misrepresents the Supreme Court order.
"Records show that there are actually only 186 voters in the 12 villages combined according to the voters list," said a protester.
They said Vedanta&’s one million ton per annum alumina refinery in Kalahandi district could never operate at full capacity due to a shortage of bauxite, a key raw material to produce alumina, which is now closed.
The protesters said they are leading a global struggle against Vedanta and an activist group, Foil Vedanta, will protest before the general body meeting of Vedanta Resources in London tomorrow.