82 Chinese of VEDANTA allowed to leave India

     Korba, October 28, 2009: After meeting a top Chinese diplomat, Chhattisgarh police today allowed 82 Chinese nationals, working in construction of VEDANTA power plant at Korba, to leave the country.

     Police have no objection if 82 of the 85 Chinese technical staff, who were working in the Vedanta’s 1200 Mega Watt under construction power plant at Korba leave the country, Korba District Superintendent of Police Ratan Lal Dangi told ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com.

     After the giant 178-metre Chimney of the Rs 5000 crore under construction power plant collapsed on September 23, police had asked 85 Chinese, who were employed by Shandong Electric Power Construction Corporation (SEPCO), China, not to leave the country till the investigation is over, police said.

     Facing crisis, the Chinese nationals sought intervention of their government and the Chinese Consulate General, Kolkata Mao Sewei met the SP yesterday and discussed the matter.

     After the discussion the police issued the no objection certificate for 82 of the foreign nationals.

     “We have informed the immigration points in Delhi, Bombay and Kolkata and also the Ministry of Home Affairs that 82 of the SEPCO employees can leave India,” the SP said.

     “However, three senior technical staff of the SEPCO have been asked not to leave the premises of the VEDANTA at Korba till the investigation of the collapsed of the Chimney is completed,” he said adding besides three Chinese nationals one of their interpreters is also staying back with them.

      Replying to a question, the SP said the Chinese nationals have not been arrested. But they have been asked not to leave the country as SEPCO was constructing the Chimney, which collapsed killing 40 workers under its debris, he added.

     Authorities wanted to reach to the bottom of the incident as to how it happened and what was the reasons, said the SP.

     Since police wanted to interrogate the people, in charge of the project, they have so far arrested one of the Project Managers of the company involved in the construction work and probing the role of the Chinese.