Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami on Tuesday said the State government would pursue a legal battle to ensure that the Vedanta Group is not allowed to reopen the Sterlite Copper unit in Thoothukudi.
Responding to Opposition leader M.K. Stalin, who urged the government to adopt a policy decision on the plant’s closure and subsequently staged a walkout over the issue, Mr. Palaniswami alleged that decisions taken by the erstwhile DMK government in favour of Sterlite Copper was the reason for all the existing problems.
He alleged that instead of verifying whether the conditions laid down by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) had been met, the DMK government issued orders on October 10, 1996, allowing Sterlite Copper to function.
“Ever though public interest litigations were filed by MDMK general secretary Vaiko, CITU leader Kangaraj and others, the DMK government told the High Court that permission was granted after following all the rules and regulations of the TNPCB,” he said.
The Chief Minister recalled an order of the Madras High Court which stated, “On the part of the Government of India and the State government and the TNPCB, it has been contended that all the procedures contemplated under law have been duly followed while granting permission to the company…”
Land allocation
Mr. Palaniswami’s argument was that the DMK government’s stand actually led to the Supreme Court staying the order of the Madras High Court directing the unit to wind up its operations.
“It was when Mr. Stalin was the Industries Minister that 243.83 additional acres were allocated to the unit,” he alleged.
He said the government’s stand on the issue would be conveyed after getting full details of the developments in the Supreme Court.
“Mr. Stalin has staged a walkout because he had come to the House with a reason to walk out,” the CM remarked sarcastically.
