Sterlite Copper smelter will not be opened at all: Stalin

DMK President M.K. Stalin on Monday said the Tamil Nadu government's decision to allow operation at Vedanta Ltd's Sterlite plant in Tuticorin for production of medical oxygen is only temporary.

In a Facebook post Stalin said once the DMK comes to power, the polluting copper smelter unit Sterlite Copper of Vedanta will not be allowed to reopen on any count.

The meeting of all recognised political parties chaired by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister K. Palaniswami on Monday decided to allow operation of Sterlite Copper in Tuticorin to produce oxygen for four months with the power supplied by the state utility.

The all party meeting was called in the wake of the Supreme Court asking the Tamil Nadu government on its views to permit operation of the oxygen plant at Sterlite Copper now shutdown.

Two DMK Parliamentarians - Kanimozhi and R.S. Bharathi- represented the party at the meeting.

The Tamil Nadu government had ordered the closure of the Vedanta's copper smelter plant in 2018 following a violent protest that led to the death of 13 persons in police firing.

The people protested against the plant as it was polluting the air.

The 400,000 tonne Sterlite copper smelter plant that has been operating in Tuticorin for over 25 years with a cumulative investment of about Rs 3,000 crore.