The State government is firm on not letting the Sterlite Copper plant at Thoothukudi function again, P. Thangamani, Electricity Minister, said on Saturday.
Speaking to mediapersons on the sidelines of an iftar party here, Mr. Thangamani said the statement of senior Left leaders like T.K. Rangarajan that the AIADMK regime had taken a pro-Sterlite stand, had hurt the sentiments of the ruling party cadre. Mr. Rangarajan, who is also a Rajya Sabha member, had objected to Mr. Thangamani’s statement in the Assembly last Friday that the closure of the Sterlite Copper smelter in Thoothukudi, which was a major supplier of copper in the country, was among the reasons for the delay in sourcing transformers for Tangedco.