Following the death of 13 people in police firing amid sporadic violence in Tamil Nadu’s Thoothukudi last week, Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam on Monday said that the government will take necessary steps to permanently shut down the copper smelter plant known as Sterlite Copper.

Pannerselvam visited the hospital here and enquired about the health of those injured in the police firing on anti-Sterlite Copper protestors on May 22, in which 13 persons died.

The deputy CM was speaking to reporters here and he also added that compensation to the injured were being paid.

Normalcy was slowly returning here with shops and other establishments opening their doors for customers.

 

Internet connectivity has also resumed since Sunday midnight after it was suspended on May 23.

"Shops are open now. Normalcy is returning. But till the copper smelter plant is permanently closed there will not be total peace in the city," S. Raja of Thoothukudi Traders Association told IANS.

Raja also said murder charge should be registered against the police officials who shot the protestors.

According to Raja, post mortem has been done on seven bodies out of the 13 who were killed in the police firing. However, the relatives have not claimed the bodies yet.