Achuthanandan remains steadfast on anti-nuke plant stance

THIRUVANATHPURAM: Admitting that his views on the dangers of nuclear energy differed slightly from his party's official line, CPI-M leader V S Achuthanandan today said he firmly believed that no country had ever developed a foolproof method of nuclear waste disposal.

The questions and observations of the Supreme Court over the safety measures of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) reflected the people's anxieties and concerns, he said at a seminar organised here by anti-nuke forum Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) here.

"The case of Kudankulam Nuclear plant is before the Supreme Court. Whatever be the final verdict, the apex court's observations and repeated questions about the safety measures and disposal of nuclear waste reflected people's anxieties and concerns," he said.

The octogenarian leader said though he had some differences with the party over KNPP issue, the CPI-M Central Committee itself later adopted a resolution stating that plant should be commissioned only after safety measures were implemented and sufficiently addressed people's concerns.

The party also wanted the government to give up plans to turn Kudankulam into a nuclear park, he said. Achuthanandan also hit out at the Tamil Nadu government for supporting the nuclear plant after deviating from its previous stand.

Former Chief of Naval Staff Admiral L Ramdas, political commentator Ninan Koshy and educationist RVG Menon were among those who spoke at the seminar. The organisers said CNDP is a broad alliance of over 200 groups opposed to nuclear weapons and atomic power plants.