In a major setback for Vedanta Aluminum Limited the Orissa High Court has rejected the company's plea for a six fold expansion its refinery in Lanjigarh in the state.

Vedanta Aluminum Limited had moved the High Court challenging the Centre's stalling of its refinery expansion plan. Vedanta was in the process of expanding the capacity of its 1 million tonne per year alumina refinery at Lanjigarh to 6 million tonnes per year when the Ministry of Environment and Forests stopped the expansion.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests has charging the company with continuing the project without environmental permits. Vedanta wants to expand the capacity of its 1 million tonne per year alumina refinery at Lanjigarh.

Vedanta has set up its facilities at at Lanjigarh, in Kalahandi district about 450 kms from Orissa's capital Bhubaneswar to mine bauxite in Niyamgiri hills.

(Sourced from ibnlive.in.com)