Sterlite shut, allotment of land for unit II nixed

With Sivagama Sundari, the tehsildar of Thoothukudi, sealing the gates of the controversial Sterlite Copper by Monday evening and Chief Minister Edappadi Palaniswamy announcing in the Legislative Assembly on Tuesday morning that the Government had issued a directive to permanently close the unit, normalcy has returned to the port city, popularly known as the Pearl City.

In what could be the last nail on the coffin, the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu (SIPCOT), the controlling body of the industrial landscape of the State, declared on Tuesday that the 343 acres of land allotted  to Sterlite Copper for expansion of its second copper smelter unit has been cancelled on larger public interest. 

As the allotment of land for the proposed expansion has been made by SIPCOT, in larger public interest, the land allotment made by SIPCOT for proposed expansion of copper smelter plant (Phase-2) by Vedanta Ltd. is hereby cancelled,” SIPCOT said in its communication to the Vedanta group. “The land price collected for the said land allotment will be refunded as per the norms of SIPCOT,” said the  letter addressed to the metal and mining giant.

“The plant is permanently sealed. There is no more confusion”, said Sandeep Nanduri, the newly appointed district collector.

P Ramnath, chief executive officer, Sterlite Copper, had told a pro-CPI(M) daily the other day that the group would continue to pursue legal options. Though he claimed that the company was providing indirect employment to 40,000 people, the government report proves that there were only 3500 persons who are benefited by the company.

M K Stalin, leader of the opposition who is also the working president of the

DMK led his MLAs to the opening day of the Legislative Assembly in black costumes as a mark of protest to last week’s police firing in Thoothukudi which claimed 13 lives. Speaking in the House, Stalin described the police firing at Thoothukudi as “outright murders”.

The Speaker P Dhanapal objected to the tone of Stalin and got the term removed from the House Records. Stalin also wanted the immediate resignation of chief minister Edappadi Palaniswamy.

Paniswamy while replying to Stalin’s allegations put the entire blame for the police firing on the DMK. “The local DMK MLA Geeta Jeevan, knowing well that the district administration had declared prohibitory orders to prevent untowards incidents, led more than 200 persons defying the order which encouraged anti-social elements to infiltrate into the rally and destroy public property. The police resorted to firing  when all other options to retain normalcy failed,” said the chief minister. This led to a walk out by the DMK and its allies from the House.

Political commentators like GC Shekhar, who were following the Sterlite Copper issue from the beginning termed the present situation was created by the Congress and the DMK which turned blind eye towards the Sterlite Group which flouted the rules with impunity.