Tamil Nadu dy CM Panneerselvam assures permanent closure of Vedanta's Sterlite copper smelting plant

Thoothukudi: Tamil Nadu deputy chief minister O Panneerselvam on Monday said that the government will take necessary steps to permanently shut down the copper smelter plant of Vedanta Ltd, popularly known as Sterlite Copper. [caption id=“attachment_4355929” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] File image of O Panneerselvam. PTI[/caption] Pannerselvam visited the hospital and inquired about the health of those injured in the police firing on anti-Sterlite Copper protestors on 22 May, in which 13 persons died. The Deputy Chief Minister spoke to reporters and also added that compensation to the injured were being paid. Normalcy was slowly returning with shops and other establishments opening their doors for customers. Internet connectivity has also resumed since Sunday midnight after it was suspended on 23 May. “Shops are open now. Normalcy is returning. But till the copper smelter plant is permanently closed there will not be total peace in the city,” S Raja of Thoothukudi Traders Association told IANS. Raja also said murder charge should be registered against the police officials who shot the protestors. According to Raja, post mortem has been done on seven bodies out of the 13 who were killed in the police firing. However, the relatives have not claimed the bodies yet.