NALCO to resume work at Orissa mine
Tuesday, May 12, 2009 (15:43:28) Tags: Business, Industries, India
Bhubaneswar: State-run National Aluminium Co Ltd (NALCO) will resume bauxite production at full capacity at its Panchpatmali mine in Orissa today, more than a month after the mine was attacked by Maoists, a top official said.
"The workers have agreed to join the late shift from today (Tuesday). Our bauxite output is going to be normal," P.K. Mohapatra, head of the Damanjodi refinery and mine, told media.
Production was stopped for several days after Maoist rebels attacked the Panchpatmali mine in Koraput district, some 370 km from here, on April 12.
At least 10 security personnel and five Maoist guerrillas were killed in a gun battle.
Though the work was restarted on April 22, the output was down at least 35 percent as workers refused to do the night shifts.
The production of bauxite had come down to 9,000 tonnes per day from 14,000 tonnes earlier.
Senior company officials held discussion with mine workers Monday. The workers agreed to work in the late shift after getting assurances that adequate security measures would be taken and night patrolling by security personnel would be intensified.
NALCO is Asia's largest integrated aluminium producer. The bauxite from Panchpatmali mine feeds the refinery in Damanjodi town, located nearby.(IANS)
