Koodankulam: Scientists-TN government to decide on future course

CHENNAI: Top nuclear scientists will talk to the Tamil Nadu government officials next week to decide on the next course of action to end the stalemate in the controversial Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project, Minister of State in the PMO, V Narayanasamy, said today.

"Nuclear officials S K Jain and Srikumar Banerjee will talk to the state government officials next week on how to go about the issue. Prime Minister has already spoken to the (Tamil Nadu) Chief Minister on this," Narayanasamy told media.

The minister also questioned the motives of the anti-KNPP agitators, asserting that the documents they had demanded were not on the safety aspects of the Plant.

"Why do they want the inter- government documents? How are they connected with the safety? This raises serious doubts on their motives," he said.

Anti-KNPP protesters had demanded a copy of Coastal Regulations Zone (CRZ) clearance and Detailed Project Report (DPR) for Reactor 1 of the Plant after talks with the experts committee formed by the Central government on Nov 18.

After the first round of talks between the protesters and the experts committees set up by the Centre and State governments respectively, the agitators had also presented a memorandum seeking various documents relating to the site selection and evaluation report and environmental safety analysis.

"Even the (Tamil Nadu) Chief Minister has said that the Centre clears the safety aspects alone and we are doing that," Narayanasamy said.

The commissioning of the Plant, originally scheduled for December this year, is on hold after the second round of talks between the protesters and the experts committees formed by the Centre and the state failed to end the logjam over the issue.