Kerala says it has right to get 266 MW from Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala today said it has the right to get 266 MW from Kudankulam Nuclear Power plant under the Gadgil formula, notwithstanding Tamil Nadu's claim for the entire share of power generated from it.

"As per the Gadgil formula (on power sharing between states), Kerala has the right to get 13 per cent of power generated at the plant. The state has also asked for more power under the unallocated quota," Power Minister Arayadan Muhammed told the state assembly.

He said government views the matter 'very seriously' in the wake of the Tamil Nadu government writing to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh that it should get the entire power generated from the plant. Kerala has not made arrangements to draw power from KNPP, he said.

He was replying to a submission on the need to complete the work on laying of a 400 KV line by Power Grid Corporation to carry power from KNPP in Tamil Nadu to Mattathara in North Kerala.

Muhammed said work in this regard had to be stopped in parts of Central Kerala due to opposition from certain farmers' groups.

He said government is seized of the matter and was holding discussions with locals opposed to the overhead power line and was confident the issue would be solved.

Government has decided to give compensation based on market value of the land to its owners, he said.