Land allocation for Sterlite expansion cancelled, DMK wants TN CM to resign

Chennai: The allotment of land for the proposed expansion of Vedanta group's copper plant in Tuticorin was on Tuesday cancelled "in larger public interest" by the State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd (SIPCOT), an official release said.

"As the allotment of land for the proposed expansion has been made by SIPCOT, in larger public interest, the land allotment made by SIPCOT for proposed expansion of copper smelter plant (Phase-2) by Vedanta Ltd is hereby cancelled," SIPCOT said in its communication to the Vedanta group.

"The land price collected for the said land allotment will be refunded as per the norms of SIPCOT," it said.

Public agitation over a long period of time citing pollution concerns is the main reason for cancellation of the proposed plant at Thoothukudi.

However, Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) working president MK Stalin on Tuesday demanded Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K. Palaniswami's resignation. He said, "On the behalf of the opposition, we demand that the chief minister should resign. This is what the people also want," Stalin said.

Earlier in the day, Stalin and other DMK reached the state assembly donning a black shirt, to mark their protest against police firing on anti-Sterlite protestors.

(Photo: ANI/Twitter)

Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami said that the decision to permanently close down the plant was taken “respecting the sentiment of people” and appealed to the residents to cooperate with the government and ensure normalcy completely returned in the southern coastal district.

(With agency inputs)