Tuticorin: Sterlite offer to produce O2 slammed at public hearing

TUTICORIN: Tense moments prevailed outside the Tuticorin district collectorate on Friday morning following a skirmish between people for and against reopening of the sealed Sterlite copper smelter plant to produce oxygen, ahead of a public hearing organised on the matter.
Those opposing Sterlite’s proposal to reopen to produce 1,050 metric tonnes of oxygen every day outnumbered those in favour.
The public hearing was organised on the direction of the state government to seek the opinions of a cross-section of the society comprising anti-Sterlite protesters, stakeholders of Sterlite, neutral people and officials.
The meeting chaired by district collector K Senthil Raj started around 8.30 am and saw anti-Sterlite protesters vehemently opposing Vedanta’s proposal. However, those in favour of reopening it considering the oxygen crisis preferred to remain silent.
A woman who tried to voice her views in support of oxygen production at Sterlite was physically and verbally abused till she left the collectorate on her two-wheeler after the meeting.
Neutral people and representatives of bodies like Indian Medical Association, Rotary and Lions Clubs too remained calm. “We did not want our views to trigger a quarrel,” said one of them.
“Towards the end of the meeting, district collector K Senthil Raj agreed to record that the people of Tuticorin do not want Sterlite to reopen. He asked them if they are agreeable to the government operating the oxygen production plant of Sterlite. But the protesters were not ready for that as well,” said an official who was present at the closed door meeting.
The clash between the protesters and supporters of Sterlite happened at the entrance of the collectorate. The supporters, who were lesser in number, fled after they were pelted with stones by the opposing members.
While only a select group was invited for the hearing to ensure that social distance is maintained at the meeting hall, many opposing Sterlite picked a quarrel with the police asking them to be allowed in to voice their views.