PM's statement on Koodankulam power plant termed 'anti-people'

MADURAI: An organisation spearheading the anti-Koodankulam stir termed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement about operationalising the nuclear power plant in a couple of weeks as 'anti-people', saying it indicated that the state government's resolution to halt work on the project was never honoured.

"The Prime Minister's assertion that the first unit of KNPP would be operational in a couple of weeks simply betrays the fact that the cabinet resolution to halt work there was never honoured earnestly or implemented effectively," People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy said in a statement here.

PMANE also alleged it is very clear now that the Centre, Department of Atomic Energy, Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited and KNPP authorities had all been 'secretly' working on loading fuel rods in the reactor, "against the letter and spirit of the cabinet resolution."

This, PMANE said, was in complete violation of all Atomic Energy Regulatory Board rules and international regulations, which mandated compulsory mock drills and evacuation exercises among local people before loading fuel rods in the reactor.

Though Tamil Nadu wanted the Centre to allay the fears of Tamil people, the latter had simply put together "an assorted 15-member expert group for talks with the state team."

However, this team had never shared any basic documents on KNPP with the state team or convincingly answered queries of locals or interacted with them, it said.

PMANE said it was regrettable that Singh had announced dates for commissioning the plant even as preliminary talks were on,"showing scant regard for dialogue."

"We condemn the Prime Minister's gross disrespect for the Government of Tamil Nadu and disregard for the Tamil people's feelings, sentiments and interests," it said.

The Prime Minister had said in Russia that the first reactor at Koodankulam would be operationalised in a couple of weeks and the second one in another six months.

On his way back from Moscow, he had made it clear that the Koodankulam reactor cannot be allowed to remain "idle" when the nation has sunk an amount of Rs 14,000 crore on the project.