Orissa MLAs take to streets against National Mining Policy.

A day after Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik's strong criticism of the Congress-led UPA Government at the Centre for framing the National Mining Policy 2008 under the influence of the international mining lobby, Biju Janata Dal MLAs on Wednesday took to the streets and staged a dharna in front of the Raj Bhawan protesting against anti-Orissa move of the Centre.The BJD MLAs alleged that the National Mineral Policy 2008, which was tabled in Rajya Sabha on March 20, seems to be heavily influenced by the mining lobby, mainly the international lobby, which has lately earned huge profits due to the favourable market conditions.
"The policy it may result in a few multinational mining companies acquiring control over the huge mineral resources of our country that are essentially required for the domestic manufacturing industry for a global market," the BJD said in a statement.
"There seems to be a hidden hand, or it is said foreign hands, behind this approach. Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and UPA chairperson Sonia Gandhi are jointly trying to hijack development from Orissa," the statement further alleged.
The party feared that the mineral policy would affect the Orissa Government's historic policy of value addition of minerals within the State, which has resulted in large number of minerals-based industries flocking to the State with huge investments.
If the minerals from Orissa could be freely transported to any other part of the country or of the globe, as the policy advocates, there would be no compulsion for industries to set up their plants in Orissa, party MLAs said.