The Tamil Nadu government on Wednesday transferred Tuticorin district collector and superintendent of police as fresh violence over the Sterlite plant rocked the port city for the second consecutive day.
Tuticorin district collector N. Venkatesh has been transferred and Tirunelveli cistrict collector Sandeep Nanduri has been appointed in his place, an official release said.
District SP P. Mahendran, who is the eye of a storm over police firing on Sterlite protesters that led to the death of 11 persons, has been transferred to Chennai.
Nilgiris District SP Murali Rambha will replace him.
Venkatesh has been posted as additional state project director for the implementation of 'Samagra Shiksha Abhiyan', under the control of state project director, Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan, the release said.
Mahendran will assume charge as deputy commissioner (Traffic-North) in Chennai, it said.
The present deputy commissioner (Traffic-North), D Shanmuga Priya will take over as SP, Nilgiris district.
Shilpa Prabhakar Satish will replace Nanduri as Tirunelveli collector.
She is presently the executive vice chairperson, Tamil Nadu Industrial Guidance and Export Promotion Bureau.
The transfers come in the wake of opposition parties seeking action against the top two Tuticorin district officials over the violence.
A man was shot dead in police firing on Wednesday following fresh clashes between security personnel and locals demanding closure of Vedanta group's Sterlite Copper plant over pollution concerns, a day after police action left 10 protesters dead.
TN suspends internet in Tuticorin to stop spread of 'rumours'
The government ordered suspension of internet services in Tuticorin and adjoining districts of Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari for five days to prevent spread of rumours through social media and help bring public tranquility.
Blaming provocative messages spread through social media, the government, in an order, said such messages led to a massive gathering of about 20,000 people on Tuesday in Tuticorin against Sterlite's copper plant which subsequently resulted in violence and police action.
Noting that anti-social elements were trying to exploit the situation, the government directed nodal officers of Internet Service Providers in these three districts to suspend internet services till May 27 effective from Wednesday.
Passing the order under Temporary Suspension of Telecom Services (Public Emergency or Public Safety) Rules, 2017—Stoppage of internet services—the government said a public emergency has arisen necessitating immediate action to bring public tranquility.
Citing a communique in this respect from the DGP, the order said "it is felt necessary that the services of internet should be stopped/curtailed to prevent spread of such rumours."
Also, the government said the temporary restriction was in the interest of maintaining public order and preventing incitement to commission of any offence.