Insta
Vedanta Petitions Central Government To Reopen Sterlite Copper Plant In Thoothukudi, Tamil Nadu
Swarajya Staff
Oct 26, 2018, 06:15 PM | Updated 06:15 PM IST
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
UK-based Vedanta Group has filed a petition along with letters from around 1.5 lakh representatives of farmers, truckers and employees’ associations in Thoothukudi with the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), requesting the reopening of its Sterlite Copper plant in the Tamil Nadu city.
A statement issued by Vedanta Resources on Thursday (25 October) said that the livelihood of the villagers that depended on the company as most of them work either as labourers or contractors has been badly affected.
“As the plant significantly contributes to the economic development of the surrounding regions, its closure has affected the daily life of many. Those employed in shipment agencies and many others who worked as tippers etc are now crippled because of unemployment,” the statement said, as reported by TNIE.
Sterlite’s plea to reopen the plant shut by the Tamil Nadu Government on 28 May is pending before the National Green Tribunal which has ordered a three-man committee to look into the entire gamut of issues leading to the closure. Tamil Nadu Government shut the plant after protests demanding its closure turned violent on 22 May. With protestors turning violent and attacking government buildings and vehicles, police resorted to firing leading to the death of 13 persons.
Of late, the closure has begun to pinch the local with many daily workers complaining unemployment, while users of byproducts like sulphuric and phosporic acids are pointing to supply woes. Besides, some of the villagers have now come forward to say that they had been mislead. One of the workers leaders has accused a leading protestors of receiving Rs 50 lakh of funds from those who had wanted the plant closed.
A Vedanta statement said that if the activists had engaged in an open dialogue with it , the loss of 13 lives could have been avoided and most of the workers would not have been struggling financially as they do now.
Save & read from anywhere!
Bookmark stories for easy access on any device or the Swarajya app.
Introducing ElectionsHQ + 50 Ground Reports Project
The 2024 elections might seem easy to guess, but there are some important questions that shouldn't be missed.
Do freebies still sway voters? Do people prioritise infrastructure when voting? How will Punjab vote?
The answers to these questions provide great insights into where we, as a country, are headed in the years to come.
Swarajya is starting a project with an aim to do 50 solid ground stories and a smart commentary service on WhatsApp, a one-of-a-kind. We'd love your support during this election season.
Click below to contribute.