TN political parties reach consensus, agree Sterlite Copper to produce only oxygen

Representatives from all recognised political parties in Tamil Nadu had  participated in the all-party meeting convened by Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami, at Secretariat. “In the meeting, a resolution to allow Sterlite Copper to manufacture only oxygen was passed unanimously," said sources, in Secretariat. 

After the meeting, DMK MP Kanimozhi, while addressing the media, said that DMK has stressed that the plant can be operated only for manufacturing oxygen for a temporary period of four months and local monitoring committee headed by Thoothukudi district collector should monitor the day-to-day operations. 

She also said that the monitoring committee should have local representatives for effective monitoring and electricity for manufacturing oxygen should be supplied only by the Tamil Nadu government. 

BJP President L Murugan, after the meeting, said that there is a growing need for medical oxygen in the country and if oxygen is manufactured in Sterlite copper the oxygen can be supplied to the entire state. Once the demand of Tamil Nadu is fulfilled excess oxygen can be sent to other states. 

However, MDMK leader Vaiko, in a statement, said that the state government should take over the Sterlite Copper plant and should manufacture oxygen without involving Vedanta management. 

The petition of Sterlite Copper to allow them to manufacture medical oxygen in their Thoothukudi plant is scheduled to be heard in Supreme Court on Monday and so state government convened an emergency all-party meeting to get the opinion of all the major political parties and to submit them in the Supreme Court as their affidavit.