Bhubaneswar: A large number of people, including community leaders and youth, staged a demonstration at Lanjigarh in Odisha’s Kalahandi district on Friday demanding immediate steps to open local bauxite mines.
The demonstrators, who gathered under the banner of Lanjigarh Anchalik Vikash Parishad (LAVP), said that the opening of local bauxite mines would secure the future of over three lakh locals’ livelihoods tied to it.
The rally was led by LAVP president Sridhar Pesnia, secretary Nirmal Samal, former MLA Sibaji Majhi, and tribal leader Dhan Majhi. Leaders of Truck Owners’ Association, Lanjigarh Jagannath Temple Committee, royal family representatives and local youth leaders also joined the protest.
Several people’s representatives, including Zilla Parishad members and local Sarpanches, also participated in the rally.
The protestors voiced strong opposition to India’s continued reliance on imported bauxite, despite the country’s vast domestic reserves.
The slogan-shouting demonstrators, who carried placards and banners, urged the Odisha government to act swiftly in unlocking the region’s mineral wealth for local development. For the people of Kalahandi, the issue is no longer about minerals alone, it is about survival, dignity, and the right to development, they said.
“Why are we bringing bauxite from outside despite having one of the world’s largest reservesin the region? Every day, thousands of us leave our villages to search for jobs outside. If our own bauxite is mined, we can work here, live here, and build our future here,” said Sridhar Pesnia.
Cautioning that continued inaction will undo two decades of progress in Kalahandi, he said the alumina refinery set up in 2003 has been a beacon of transformation—uplifting communities through jobs, education, healthcare, and better incomes. However, despite abundant reserves, it runs on imported ore, driving up national costs and leaving local aspirations in tatters, he said.
They also reiterated their earlier call to convene the long pending Gram Sabha meeting to open the bauxite mines and stressed that allowing access to these reserves, with proper community participation and safeguards, would boost local employment.
Sources said India currently imports over 4.5 million tonnes of bauxite annually, even though it holds more than 5 billion tonnes in reserves.
