Vedanta Aluminium (VAL) is in the process of increasing capacity utilisation at its 1-million tonne alumina refinery in Lanjigarh, Odisha by securing bauxite from its group firm Bharat Aluminium Company's (Balco).

It is learnt that Balco would supply the raw material from its Kawardah mines in Chhattisgarh. The mines promise 120,000 tonne of bauxite supplies every month.

Operation at the refinery, which remained shut since December 5, 2012 owing to lack of bauite, resumed on July 11. The refinery, Kalahandi district, is currently operating at 60 per cent capacity on bauxite obtained from external sources.

Meanwhile, the company prodded the state government to expedite processing of pending applications of state-controlled Odisha Mining Corporation (OMC), especially those bauxite leases falling under non-forest areas. These applications are either at PL (prospecting license) or ML (mining lease) stages.

OMC has applied for a ML in small bauxite deposits located at Maliparbat, Karnopodikonda, Ballada, Kakrimali, Hatimali and Majhingamali in Koraput district.

These applications are pending at various levels. The state government had formed a three-member inter-ministerial committee headed by finance minister Prasanna Acharya to give recommendations on ore linkages for industries operating in the state.