Apex court to look into the matter of Vedanta’s appeal against Madras High court’s denial to reopen the Sterlite plant on 15th March

14-02-2022

The top court is going to look into the matter regarding an appeal filed by Vedanta Ltd which is natural resources company ltd against the Madras HC’s denial in two years back to resume and reopen the Sterlite Copper smelting plant at Thoothukudi in Tamil Nadu.

The present appeal has been listed in the Pinnacle Court in front of a 3 member bench composed of Justices; Justice DY Chandrachud; Justice Surya Kant and Justice Vikram Nath.

The legal dispute in the Madras HC was regarding the closure of the plant regarding the protests in Thoothukudi after the plant got permission to double its smelter capacity to eight lakhs tonnes capacity.

As the protests got a huge response and media coverage, the TNPCB on 9th  April, 2018 refused to allow the consent to resume and function citing issues regarding environmental concerns. 

In May, the TNPCB made a notice for closure of the company fully after thirteen anti-Sterlite protestors were shot in ruckus between police and the protestors on 22nd May.

Madras High court denied the permission to resume the company and to reopen its copper plant in Tamil Nadu.

Earlier two member Bench of Madras High court Justices TS. Sivagnanam and V Bhavani Subbaroyan rejected full ten writ pleas registered by Vedanta questioning the different notices issued by the Tamil Nadu State government and the TNPCB denying consent to function and resume, to end production, to disconnect electricity and to shutdown the company and to seal the complete premises