New Delhi [India], June 20 (ANI): Shares of mining major Vedanta slumped sharply on Monday morning after the company invited Expression of Interest to sell its shut Sterlite copper plant in Tamil Nadu's Tuticorin.

Chennai Apr 19 PTI The Madras High Court on Tuesday ordered one months notice to the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on a PIL petition seeking to order the demolition of the copper smelting unit of Sterlite in Thoothukudi district in the state The first bench of Chief Justice M N Bhandari and Justice D Bharatha Chakravarthy ordered the notice when the PIL petition from Anti-Sterlite Peoples Movement ASM convenor Fathima came up for further hearing today Among other things the petition from the retired professor prayed for a direction to demolish the plant and take remedial measures to treat the soil and groundwater which were contaminated due to alleged dumping of copper slack by the unit for decades According to the petitioner the copper smelter unit of Vedanta group had been lying closed by the Tamil Nadu government since May 28 2018 on pollution grounds Though the unit was shut down by the State government more than three years ago no steps had been taken to restore the area and remediate the damage caused to the environment till date Such steps could be taken only after demolishing or dismantling the entire structure she said and wanted the court to direct the government and the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board TNPCB to take immediate steps to assess the contamination caused by various hazardous installations in the factory premises and evolve a scientific remediation plan PTI CORR SA SA

Chennai As the deadline for Justice Aruna Jagadeeshan Commission appointed to probe alleged police excess in the protest against Sterlite in Thoothukudi in 2018 is set to end on Sunday the State government issued an Order GO to extend the panels period by another six months till 22 February next yearNo further extension will be provided beyond these six months according to the GOThe Commission has to complete its inquiry and submit its report in both English and Tamil to the government on or before that dateAs per the Government Order The Justice Aruna Jagadeesan Commission of Inquiry has stated that considering the nature of inquiry the time stipulated by the government is insufficient to complete the inquiry and submit the report to the government and has requested the government to extend the term of the CoI by a year from August 23 2021The government said that after careful consideration a six-month extension had been granted