Natural resources company Vedanta moved the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Wednesday seeking a direction to the State government to permit it to remove certain raw materials and scrap from its Sterlite Copper premises in Thoothukudi.
Vedanta said during the second wave of COVID-19 pandemic, the entire country faced a shortage of medical oxygen which was a critical life support. The company was willing to manufacture medical oxygen for supply to hospitals.
The Supreme Court allowed the company to operate its oxygen production unit on Sterlite Copper premises. The company said it manufactured and supplied 2,132.64 tonnes of liquid medical oxygen and 7,833 cubic metres of gaseous medical oxygen.
The company said the cost for the same amounted to ₹38 crore and it was borne entirely by Vedanta. The company said it proposed to evacuate certain raw materials and scrap from Sterlite Copper premises and sell them so that it could cover a part of the cost incurred for production of oxygen.
Some of these materials had a specific shelf life, and if they were not utilised within the time they would lose their value, the company said.
Vedanta said it had sent a representation to the State government seeking permission to remove the raw materials and scrap. But, there was no response. Therefore, a petition was filed seeking a direction to the government to consider the representation.
A Division Bench of Justices M. Duraiswamy and S. Ananthi sought a response from the government, and adjourned the hearing till September 2.
