Activists urge state to implead itself in Sterlite's petition for plant maintenance

THOOTHUKUDI: Activists attached to the Anti-Sterlite Thoothukudi District People Federation have urged the state government to implead itself in the petition filed by the Vedanta in the Supreme Court seeking permission to carry out maintenance works at the Sterlite Copper plant premises, which was shut in 2018.

The petition submitted by a group of activists headed by M Krishnamurthy, said it is shocking that the Supreme Court has accepted the petition even as the Madras High Court had previously dismissed the petition.

Moving a petition against the policy decision of the public is anti-governmental and unlawful, the petition said while urging the state government to implead itself in the case, and strongly counter the company's efforts to take up maintenance work. "We believe that the state government will stand by the people as was earlier promised by Chief Minister MK Stalin," said Krishnamurthy.

Krishnamurthy said the former district collector had already confirmed that all the chemical stocks have been evacuated. The plant was closed based on a policy decision, hence the petition for maintenance should be seen as a backdoor attempt to reopen the plant, he said.