By IANS,
Bhubaneswar : The BJP Monday urged the Odisha government to convene a special session of the state assembly to discuss the central government’s decision to bring down its stake in the aluminium company Nalco.
The central government holds 87.15 percent stake in the aluminium producer. The union cabinet recently decided to bring down its stake to 75 percent by selling 12.15 percent of its share in Odisha-based National Aluminium Company Limited (Nalco).
“We want the government to convene a special session of the state assembly urgently to discuss the matter,” former Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Rudra Narayan Pani said.
While participating in a demonstration the party organised in front of the smelter plant of Nalco at Angul, about 180 km from here against the central government move, Pani also said his party will intensify protests in coming days.
Hundreds of party workers and leaders also urged Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik to call an all party meeting as people in the state are “emotionally” attached to Nalco.
While Nalco’s alumina refinery and bauxite mines are located at Damanjodi, its smelter and captive power plant are at Angul town. The company’s corporate headquarters is in Bhubaneswar. Nalco is India’s third-largest aluminium producer.
Non-Congress parties, including the BJP, the Left and state’s ruling Biju Janata Dal have been opposing disinvestment in Nalco.