Thoothukudi: Four ‘Grama Sabhas’ meetings in Thoothukudi district on Tuesday passed resolutions against the private copper smelting plant Sterlite here, while similar resolutions against the plant moved by people at some other meetings were dropped due to lack of support.
Special ‘Grama Sabha’ meetings were held in all the 403 village panchayats in Thoothukudi district on May Day resolved to cooperate with the government machinery for the better implementation of welfare measures for the development of the rural areas.
An intensive campaign by the anti-Sterlite activists from across the state for the past one week was carried out in all the 20 panchayats in Thoothukudi union insisting that people unanimously pass anti-Sterlite resolutions.
In this backdrop, resolutions seeking the permanent closure of Sterlite were passed in two village panchayats -Therkkuveerapandiyapuram and Mapillaiyoorani in the Thoothukudi union that has a total of 20 village panchayats. Two village panchayats outside Thoothukudi union-Poovani and Vellur too had resolved against the copper smelting plant in the district.
The anti-Sterlite resolution moved by some of the villagers in the other 18 village panchayats in Thoothukudi union was dropped due to lack of required number to support the resolution. ‘Grama Sabhas’ held at Koramballam panchayat and Ayyanadaippu in Thoothukudi union witnessed pandemonium for some time as the supporters of the anti-Sterlite movement quarreled with other members of the ‘Grama Sabha’.
Responding to media on the passage of the resolutions seeking permanent closure of the copper smelting plant in four village panchayats-two in Thoothukudi union and two outside, the district collector N Venkatesh said that he had not officially received any information about the passage of such resolutions. The collector however added that the ‘Grama Sabha’ meetings in all the 403 village panchayats in the district were held properly and passed resolutions based on the agendas prepared for overall development of panchayats.
A highly placed official said the resolutions passed against the company in the four panchayats did not have the signature of the respective panchayat secretaries to make it official and legal.
“The resolutions passed in that four panchayats without the signature of the panchayat secretaries may be considered as the demands of the people to the government,” clarified the officer, pleading anonymity.
