‘Can’t cite legislation and trigger issues when nation wants oxygen’: SC on Vedanta plea to make Sterlite plant operational

The Supreme Court, whereas listening to Vedanta Limited’s plea relating to making the Sterlite Plant in Tamil Nadu operational once more for manufacturing medical oxygen, on Friday mentioned it can’t cite legislation and invite issues at a time when the nation is struggling for provide.
This comes after the apex court docket on Thursday known as the Covid-19 scenario as “almost a national emergency” and agreed to listen to Vedanta’s petition on the bottom that it could produce 1,000 tonnes of oxygen and provides it freed from value for remedy of sufferers.

A bench headed by Chief Justice S A Bobde urged that Tamil Nadu can manufacture it and requested the state authorities to submit a proposed plan by Monday. “Why don’t you fulfill your responsibility in manufacturing oxygen? Just because you have problem with Vedanta, you will not manufacture oxygen? What kind of argument is this. We are not interested whether Vedanta or A, B, or C runs it. We are interested in ensuring Oxygen is produced. It is not a question of Vedanta. People are dying. You (state) can produce Oxygen,” the court docket mentioned as per stories by the Bar and Bench.

Vedanta Ltd plea to make Sterlite Plant in Tamil Nadu operational for manufacturing medical oxygen. SC says can’t cite legislation & order issues alone when nation wants provides. Suggests state can manufacture it. TN to file affidavit by Monday what it proposed to do. @IndianExpress
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The court docket’s assertion was in reply to Senior Advocate CS Vaidyanathan, showing for Tamil Nadu, saying that the reopening of the oxygen plant might be an invite for legislation and order and issues because the public is against the identical. “There is total lack of confidence there,” he mentioned, including that 13 individuals had misplaced their lives earlier there. “Yesterday, you did not tell us about the law and order situation. The situation would have been different. Have you filed this on oath?” the bench requested Vaidyanathan, who mentioned he would file an affidavit.
Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves, showing for the organisation of affected households, mentioned that state authorities can take over the unit and produce oxygen. “We have absolutely no problem if the state of Tamil Nadu take over the plant and produce oxygen,” the bench noticed, including, “Why are they not producing oxygen when people need it? The whole point of this exercise is that people in the country need it (oxygen),” the bench mentioned, including that Tamil Nadu may need surplus oxygen however the challenge is about the entire nation. “The national assets of the country should be equally distributed among the citizens,” the bench mentioned.

Vedanta’s Sterlite copper unit at Tuticorin has remained closed since May 2018 over air pollution considerations.
(With inputs from PTI)