Sterlite: Government jobs for kin of 13 killed in police firing

TIRUNELVELI: Government jobs for relatives of 13 persons killed in the police firing vis-a-vis the Sterlite stir on May 22 are expected to be announced soon, said the Thoothukudi district collector, Sandeep Nanduri on Monday. This was in response to some of the anti-Sterlite activists who accused the government of being indifferent to their suffering.

Requesting the people not to get agitated about the issue, the district collector said that a list prepared in consultation with the family members of the 13 persons killed in the firing, has been recommended to the government for job appointments. “The Chief Minister has to announce the posts allotted, which is expected anytime soon,” said Mr. Nanduri.

Further, explaining the reason for the delay in fixing a prosthetic leg for the 22-year-old Princeton, whose right leg was severely injured by bullet shot during the anti-Sterlite riot, he said that as the injured youth wanted the prosthetic leg offered to him to be replaced by an advanced model for which the government has sanctioned '7.50 lakh. “Another injured person, Vijayakumar successfully underwent bone reconstruction treatment at Meenakshi mission hospital, Madurai and the expense for the surgery has been borne by the government,” added the collector. 

The district administration too has also constituted a committee headed by the Thoothukudi district revenue officer to look into the removal of copper slag, allegedly dumped by the copper smelter plant, obstructing the flow of a water-body-Uppatruodai as per directions of the Madurai bench of Madras High court in a case filed by an environmentalist against the copper smelter plant. 

A pollution control board official, however, said that the copper slag was dumped in a private patta land with the consent of the land owner near the stream-Uppatruodai.