A CCTV recording, suspected to have been taken from the Tuticorin collectorate, shows protesters throwing sto... Read More

TUTICORIN: With the state government’s handling of the May 22 anti-Sterlite protest coming under severe criticism, minister for information and publicity Kadambur Raju on Sunday held out an assurance that his government will not permit Sterlite Copper Smelter to function again. He said the state government is not in a position to issue a government order to permanently lock down the factory, as an appeal filed by the government against the functioning of the controversial factory in 2013 is pending in the Supreme Court .

“Except during one or two occasions, the district administration had always supported the anti-Sterlite protest by providing permission. We (state government) have firmly taken a decision not to permit the factory to function again,” the minister told reporters. “The state government and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board have rejected Sterlite management’s request to renew its licence in April 2018,” he said.

Asked about the protesters’ demand for a GO to stop the operation of the factory, Kadambur Raju explained that the appeal pending in the Supreme Court was a legal hurdle.

“The factory management might be keen to restart the operation. But we have taken a policy level decision not to let the factory resume work,” he said.

The minister interacted with IAS and IPS officers and discussed measures to bring down police presence in Tuticorin as the Section 144 of CrPC was lifted. He said the ministers could not visit the coastal town till Sunday morning as Section 144 was in force. “Cases have been registered against everyone who violated it,” he said.

Appeal pending in apex court legal hurdle’

Asked about the protesters’ demand for a GO to stop the operation of the factory, Kadambur Raju explained that the appeal pending in the Supreme Court was a legal hurdle.

“The factory management might be keen to restart the operation. But we have taken a policy level decision not to let the factory resume work,” he said. The minister interacted with IAS and IPS officers and discussed measures to bring down police presence in Tuticorin as CrPC Section 144 was lifted.

He said the ministers could not visit the coastal town till Sunday morning as Section 144 was in force. “Cases have been registered against everyone who violated it,” he said.

