India's Nalco puts alumina capacity rise on hold

NEW DELHI, Aug 18 (Reuters) - India's National Aluminium Co has put on hold commissioning of the expanded alumina capacity due to local problems, its chairman said on Tuesday, without elaborating. "We have delayed because of various other problems, local problems," C.R. Pradhan told reporters on the sidelines of an industry event. "It was to come three-four months back," he said, but did not give a new timeline. State-run Nalco, which has a refinery in the eastern Orissa state, had plans to raise its alumina refining capacity to 2.1 million tonnes per annum from 1.6 million tonne currently. Security was tightened at its bauxite mine in the state earlier this month after suspected Maoist rebels threatened to attack the site. (Reporting by Ratnajyoti Dutta) ((devidutta.tripathy@thomsonreuters.com; +91 11 4178 1009; Reuters Messaging: devidutta.tripathy.reuters.com@reuters.net))