By Bizodisha Bureau, March 27, 2019: Resources conglomerate Vedanta has finally won the battle to bid for the National Aluminium Company Ltd (NALCO)’s tender for the sale of surplus alumina with the verdict of Odisha High Court in favour of Anil Agarwal owned company in this regard.

In a writ petition filed in the Odisha High Court earlier this month, Vedanta sought judicial intervention to be eligible to bid for purchasing alumina from the state-run Nalco.

He petition clearly said it was forced to approach the Court after it was denied the chance to participate in the tender floated by Nalco for the sale of surplus alumina.

Incidentally, Nalco sells around 1.2 million tonnes of alumina every year.

Nalco rejected Vedanta’s bid saying that it cannot sell alumina to overseas buyers. However, Vedanta has argued that the SEZ status of its smelter at Jharsuguda makes it eligible to participate in the Nalco tender.

“If the contention which has been raised by the petitioners is not accepted, they have to import the raw material…, and in that process spend huge amount of ship fare which will add costs to the company in question…. Whereas if it is allowed to purchase from Nalco, the Indian raw material can be used within India and will serve the purpose of the new policy of the central government, i.e. ‘Make in India’,” the court ruling said.

Commenting on Tuesday’s court order, a Vedanta official said: “We welcome the decision of the Odisha High Court. It is a good move and will boost economic activity and value addition in the state.”

Nalco is one of the largest producers of alumina, an intermediate product for producing aluminium metal. Vedanta’s 1.25-million tonne capacity smelter at Jharsuguda is starved of bauxite, the main raw material for producing aluminium.