Bhubaneswar,swa news : In a resounding appeal against economic irrationality and regional injustice, today, Hon’ble MLAs, Shri Sudhir Ranjan Pattjoshi (Dharmagarh) & Shri Nilamadhaba Hikaka, MLA Bissam Cuttack (Rayagada District) today committed to take forward the Kalahandi locals’long pending demand for opening of bauxite mines in Lanjigarh,to the state leadership.Yesterday, joining a swelling chorus of voices calling for the urgent opening of bauxite mines in the region, Lanjigarh MLA, Shri Pradip Kumar Dishari had also made a similar assurance to personally take up the issue with the Chief Minister and highlighting that bauxite mining with mandated safeguards is both an economic necessity and a social imperative.
Their commitment came amid continued demonstrations under the banner of LanjigarhAnchalik Vikash Parishad (LAVP), where nearly 5,000 villagers, youth, women and community leaders gathered recently in a massive protest at Lanjigarh demanding the immediate opening of local bauxite mines, sending a clear message that delay is no longer an option.
Speaking on the matter, MLA of Dharamagarh, ShriSudhir Ranjan Pattjoshi said, “The survival of more than three lakh people in Kalahandi depends on this. Our youth are migrating, our families are struggling, and our future is uncertain. I stand firmly with the people of Kalahandi in this just demand and assure that I will raise the matter with the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Odisha so that our voices are heard at the highest level.”
He emphasized that Odisha holds some of the world’s richest bauxite reserves, yet India continues to import millions of tonnes annually at a huge cost to the national treasury. “This is both an economic loss and an injustice to mineral-rich districts like Kalahandi,” he noted, stressing that responsible and sustainable mining must happen here so that the benefits directly reach the local communities rather than being drained away through imports.
“This is not just a Kalahandi issue, it is a lifeline for the entire region including Rayagada. Odisha is blessed with some of the world’s richest bauxite reserves, yet our people remain deprived while the country continues to import at great cost. If mining is done responsibly, with the safeguards already laid down by the Supreme Court, it can generate employment, improve infrastructure, and uplift local communities. I stand with the people in this rightful demand and will continue to push for a solution that ensures both development and dignity. I assure that I will take this pressing matter to the Hon’ble Chief Minister so that the concerns of our people are acted upon without delay.”, said Shri Nilamadhaba Hikaka, MLA BissamCuttack (Rayagada District).
Adding his voice to the demand, Hon’ble MLA ofBissam Cuttack, Shri Nilamadhaba Hikaka from the Indian National Congress, extended his support to the people of Kalahandi. He underlined that the call for opening bauxite mines is not limited to one district but a regional necessity that will decide the future of lakhs of families across Odisha.
The ground swell at Lanjigarh on Friday reflects a breaking point with nearly 5,000 villagers, community leaders, and youth, with placards and slogans such as “Deshara Bauxite, DesharaVikas” and “Open Our Mines, Secure Our Future.” Protesters stressed that inaction could undo two decades of progress in Kalahandi and push the region back into hunger, poverty, and migration.
Community leaders from LAVP reiterated that convening the long pending Gram Sabha is the only way to move forward responsibly, ensuring that mining is carried out with community participation, ecological safeguards, and dedicated funds for local development.
India imports over 4.5 MT of bauxite annually at a cost exceeding INR 4000 – 5000 crores (2024-25), despite 5 billion tonnes of reserves. Kalahandi’s per capita income remains one of the lowest in Odisha and ranks among the top districts in Odisha for distress migration, with youth leaving for low-wage work in other states due to lack of local opportunities.While other countries profit from India’s imports, Kalahandi remains underdeveloped, plagued by unemployment, migration, and poverty. Opening of bauxite mines could generate massive direct and indirect jobs and overall development in the region if operations begin under proper legal and environmental safeguards.
With back-to-back assurances from the three MLAs, the people of Kalahandi expressed cautious optimism that their decades-old struggle for utilization of the district’s abundant bauxite reserves for local development may finally be realized.
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