Tamil Nadu cabinet Monday gave its green signal to controversial Kudankulam nuclear plant synchronously cabinet allotted Rs 500 Cr for regional development.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said in a statement that the cabinet examined the reports of panels of the central and state governments as well as the memorandum submitted by those opposed to the atomic power plant.Further added water from the plant will not endanger marine ecology or affect the livelihood of fishermen. Central government's expert panel had answered the doubts of the locals about the plant.
J.Jayalalithaa and the Congress appear to be on the same page regarding
the
contentious Kudankulam issue.This has given the Centre hope of bringing
the curtains down on the impasse over the nuclear plant.That the
prospects of the
plant’s early commissioning have brightened was made clear by Union
minister of
state in the PMO V. Narayanasamy in Chennai on Saturday.
The Tamil Nadu government will take a decision as early as possible,”
said a confident Narayanasamy.
According to him, the state administration was cooperating (with the
Centre) to
break the deadlock.This assumes significance in
the backdrop of the Jayalalithaa government dispatching a top police
officer to
Kudankulam to review the security environment in the eventuality of
commencing
operations at the plant, stalled six months ago following a state
cabinet
resolution seeking suspension of all works in view of massive
anti-nuclear
protests.
Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa said in a statement that the cabinet examined the reports of panels of the central and state governments as well as the memorandum submitted by those opposed to the atomic power plant.Further added water from the plant will not endanger marine ecology or affect the livelihood of fishermen. Central government's expert panel had answered the doubts of the locals about the plant.
Nuclear Power Corp of India Ltd (NPCIL), is building two 1,000
MW reactors at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district,villagers of
Kudankulam, Idinthakarai in vicinity fear for their lives in the event
of a nuclear mishap.TN govt earlier halted the work but with the state
independent experts followed advice to begin project two 1,000
MW reactors at Kudankulam.Tamil Nadu government cabinet finally
concluded "there is no risk of an earthquake or tsunami and the plant
(had) best safety features".
Interestingly, the state government’s
expert panel, comprising former Atomic Energy Commission ( AEC) chairman M. R.
Srinivasan, has certified that the plant is safe from quakes and tsunamis.But even as he expressed
hope of an early resolution, he demanded that the AIADMK government should not
remain a mute spectator to the ongoing stir, which has crossed 200 days, and
that it should act against the protesters. There are over 150 cases, mostly
non- bailable ones, registered against the People’s Movement Against Nuclear
Energy (PMANE) convener Udayakumar alone.The charges include unlawful
assembly and obstructing government servants from performing their duty.
The visit of S. George, an
additional DGP, is the first by a high- ranking police official to the project
site ever since the launch of the relay fasts and the protests in August 2011.
During the brief visit, the ADGP interacted with the project authorities and
also conducted a survey of the security situation in and around Kudankulam, a
coastal hamlet.
Ever since she assumed
office, Jayalalithaa has never lost an opportunity to take on the Centre.
However, neither the AIADMK nor the DMK have pronounced anti- nuke stances. On
top of that, an acute power black out crunch in the state could have forced her
to do a rethink.
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