Will Tamil Nadu take a relook at Sterlite Copper Plant ?
When the public demonstration against Sterlite Copper plant in Tuticorin in Tamil Nadu took a violent turn resulting in police firing and unfortunate death of innocent persons, Tamil Nadu government panicked and ordered immediate closure of Sterlite Copper Plant.
Since then, Tamil Nadu government has been going out of the way to keep on repeating at every opportunity that Sterlite copper plant would never be reopened.
In Tuticorin and surrounding areas, there is population of around 3 lakh people and perhaps, around ten thousand persons have participated in the demonstration against Sterlite plant. At the same time, there are direct and indirect employees and contract workers associated with Sterlite Copper unit , whose number is said to be around 10,000 and they have said that the plant should not be closed and they have not suffered in health due to the operation of the plant.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has said that miscreants participated in the demonstration and caused violence.
Now, section of the people living in Tuticorin and villages nearby have given petition to the government demanding that Sterlite copper plant should be reopened. Villagers have said that they have been living there for several years and they have not suffered any health problems.
Meanwhile, due to the closure of Sterlite Copper plant , many people have lost jobs, several small and tiny industries making supply to Sterlite copper unit are facing closure and price of products like sulphuric acid , copper have skyrocketed. India has now become a net importer of copper , whereas it was a net exporter of copper when sterlite plant was operating. Apart from the loss of foreign exchange due to the import of copper now, Tamil Nadu government is also losing sizable revenue that it was getting when sterlite copper unit was operating. Tamil Nadu government with huge budgetary deficit seem to be unconcerned about the loss of revenue.
In such circumstances, should not the Tamil Nadu government keep an open mind and view the issue in a constructive way, instead of taking a decision based on political consideration and public demonstration by fringe groups and the so called activists ?
Now that the matter is before the Green Tribunal, Tamil Nadu government should request the Green Tribunal to look into the matter objectively and provide it's view and decision on operating Sterile copper unit, which Tamil Nadu government should implement.
Tamil Nadu government should avoid taking a negative view and should not keep vote bank politics in mind while taking it's stand.
It is an extremely dangerous trend to allow the development of a condition and mindset, that decision on the fate of industrial and infrastructure projects, can be taken on the basis of protest in the streets and the capacity of the protestors to create law and order problem and paralyse public life
Tamil Nadu government has certainly failed in it’s duty to protect the interests of the state by it’s knee jerk reaction to shut down the Sterlite Copper project.
If Tamil Nadu government thought it to be necessary, it could have asked the Sterlite copper unit to suspend production ,then the government could have appointed a technical expert committee to look into the matter and asked the unit to implement the recommendations of the expert committee and then restart the plant, if suggested by the expert committee. This is the international practice including in the developed countries.
The routine protestors and the so called environmental activists should not have the last laugh in such matters.
N.S.Venkataraman
Nandini Voice for The Deprived
nandinivoice.com more
Since then, Tamil Nadu government has been going out of the way to keep on repeating at every opportunity that Sterlite copper plant would never be reopened.
In Tuticorin and surrounding areas, there is population of around 3 lakh people and perhaps, around ten thousand persons have participated in the demonstration against Sterlite plant. At the same time, there are direct and indirect employees and contract workers associated with Sterlite Copper unit , whose number is said to be around 10,000 and they have said that the plant should not be closed and they have not suffered in health due to the operation of the plant.
Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu government has said that miscreants participated in the demonstration and caused violence.
Now, section of the people living in Tuticorin and villages nearby have given petition to the government demanding that Sterlite copper plant should be reopened. Villagers have said that they have been living there for several years and they have not suffered any health problems.
Meanwhile, due to the closure of Sterlite Copper plant , many people have lost jobs, several small and tiny industries making supply to Sterlite copper unit are facing closure and price of products like sulphuric acid , copper have skyrocketed. India has now become a net importer of copper , whereas it was a net exporter of copper when sterlite plant was operating. Apart from the loss of foreign exchange due to the import of copper now, Tamil Nadu government is also losing sizable revenue that it was getting when sterlite copper unit was operating. Tamil Nadu government with huge budgetary deficit seem to be unconcerned about the loss of revenue.
In such circumstances, should not the Tamil Nadu government keep an open mind and view the issue in a constructive way, instead of taking a decision based on political consideration and public demonstration by fringe groups and the so called activists ?
Now that the matter is before the Green Tribunal, Tamil Nadu government should request the Green Tribunal to look into the matter objectively and provide it's view and decision on operating Sterile copper unit, which Tamil Nadu government should implement.
Tamil Nadu government should avoid taking a negative view and should not keep vote bank politics in mind while taking it's stand.
It is an extremely dangerous trend to allow the development of a condition and mindset, that decision on the fate of industrial and infrastructure projects, can be taken on the basis of protest in the streets and the capacity of the protestors to create law and order problem and paralyse public life
Tamil Nadu government has certainly failed in it’s duty to protect the interests of the state by it’s knee jerk reaction to shut down the Sterlite Copper project.
If Tamil Nadu government thought it to be necessary, it could have asked the Sterlite copper unit to suspend production ,then the government could have appointed a technical expert committee to look into the matter and asked the unit to implement the recommendations of the expert committee and then restart the plant, if suggested by the expert committee. This is the international practice including in the developed countries.
The routine protestors and the so called environmental activists should not have the last laugh in such matters.
N.S.Venkataraman
Nandini Voice for The Deprived
nandinivoice.com more
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View all 9 comments Below 9 comments
Extremely sensible suggestions made by Mr. Venkatraman. For far too long, so called "public sentiment" has hijacked sensible governance in Tamil Nadu. Let an truly independent agency assess Sterlite's compliance or otherwise with pollution control norms and impose suitable conditions for restart and monitor them strictly. more
Jul 14
The Tamilnadu Government should come down heavily with iron hands. on the The routine protestors and the so called environmental activists. They should be put down in jails and the food must be only Ragi porridge irrespective of their political status.They are certainly not above National leaders like Vaa.Uoo.Chidambaram Pillai, who suffered in jail for months together. The Govt. should create National spirit among the people of Thoothukudi.People in Thoothukudi must start thinking and asking questions like this. what are the National benefits for the country, brought by Sterlite, instead of closure of Sterlite plant. It is the responsibility of Govt. to educate the people of Tamilnadu for development and not for destruction. more
Jul 13
THIS COPPER SMELTING PLANT HAS BEEN IN OPERATION FOR OVER A DECADE. IT WANTED TO EXPAND ITS SMELTING CAPACITY AND HAD NATURALLY PETITIONED THE GOVT FOR NECESSARY APPROVALS. THAT STARTS AN AGITATION WHICH WAS SPEARHEADED BY THE LANGUAGE PRESS. WE ARE WELL AWARE ABOUT THE SHAREHOLDING PATTERN OF SOME OF THE LEADING LIGHTS OF PRINT AND VISUAL MEDIA IN INDIA. THESE VESTED INTERESTS HAD STOKED SO MANY SCARES IN THE MINDS OF THE LOCAL PUBLIC THAT IT BECAME A MASS AGITATION WHICH WAS FURTHER AGGRAVATED BY SOME MISCHIEVOUS ROWDY ELEMENTS INFILTRATING THE AGITATING PUBLIC. ARSON AND LOOTING BECAME THE ORDER OF THE DAY AND THE POLICE RESORTED TO FIRING. THE GOVT. ( AS IT IS - VERY SHAKY ) ORDERED CLOSURE OF THE PLANT. IN ALL THESE AGITATIONS, NOBODY BOTHERED TO GIVE A FAIR TRIAL TO STERLITE MANAGEMENT, WHO HAD EVEN OFFERED TO ARBITRATE THE MATTER TO AN INDEPENDENT AGENCY REGARDING THE SAFETY OF THE PLANT. NOW, THE WHOLE ECONOMY OF THIS SMALL TOWN CALLED TUTICORIN IS IN SHAMBLES WITH UNEMPLOYMENT ALL AROUND. HOPE THE TN GOVT TAKES SOME REMEDIAL ACTION EVEN AT THIS LATE HOUR AND ARRANGE FOR REOPENING THIS COPPER SMELTER PLANT IN THIS TOWN SO THAT NORMALCY IS RESTORED. more
Jul 13
I join and support Sri Venkataraman as far as the view expressed by him is concerned. Politics should not take away the livelihood of the people and the revenue to Govts. Unscrupulous politicians beware. You have to go to the people for vote once again ! The natives also should not have encouraged this situation more
Jul 12
Mr venkatramans Views are most welcome. It has become a practice n ow, in TAMILNADU, to protest against all SCHEMES. We are going to pay a heavy price, for this sort of callous attitude more
Jul 13
The present Govt. will be like that way only since they do not know in which way they can get elected next time They are trying to play games Let us forget it None of our discussions will change their actions at least as a learned members let us discuss this issue in a positive manner. "If Tamil Nadu government thought it to be necessary, it could have asked the Sterlite copper unit to suspend production ,then the government could have appointed a technical expert committee to look into the matter and asked the unit to implement the recommendations of the expert committee and then restart the plant, if suggested by the expert committee. This is the international practice including in the developed countries." is right The problem "Pollution and sufferings and loss of job " is real It must be addressed But then don't we have experts among us who can say what wen wrong and how the same thing is handled safely by other plants in India and elsewhere, instead of making unnecessary wordily (using too many words) duel and making comments more
Jul 12
