Panneerselvam : Sterlite Copper Plant will be shut permanently

Tamil Nadu Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam today asserted that the government will take resolute steps for the permanent closure of Vedanta group’s copper plant here.

Panneerselvam said, “Today, the main demand of the people is that the copper plant should be permanently closed. In keeping with their demand, it is shut now. I would like to make it clear that Sterlite plant will be permanently shut”.

He said “Amma’s government,” will do all things necessary to ensure the plant’s closure, he said after visiting those injured in the violence and police firing on 22 May, at a state-run hospital in Tuticorin. “The government will do its duty for permanently closing down the plant,” he said.

If there are legal challenges in the closure of the plant, it will be faced and the government will take resolute steps to permanently close down the Vedanta group’s copper unit here, Panneerselvam added.

He described the deaths of 13 people in the police firing as an “incident of grief which melted the hearts of everyone.”

Panneerselvam said he met 47 injured persons and consoled them, and received representations from them which will be fulfilled and compensation has been provided to all the injured he met.

The deputy CM said, “Peace has returned to Tuticorin and it will continue and the district administration is working towards that.”

Sec 144 of the CrPC, has been lifted from the area after days of violence in Tuticorin.

Section 144, which does not allow assembly of more than four people, was imposed on May 23 following the violence in which 13 people lost their lives while many others were injured.

Sterlite Copper is a unit of Vedanta Ltd which operates a 400,000-tonne per annum capacity plant in Tuticorin.

In the meantime, an AIADMK information technology wing functionary C Hari Prabhakaran, was removed from the party for acting against the party principles and for bringing disrepute for tweeting, “Reporters are not allowed to shoot inside the hospital during the DCM visit— street dogs who shouts for biscuits will be tied on the gate rather allowing them inside”. He later deleted the tweet.

Image Source – financialexpress.com