Halt Work of Nuclear Plant Jayalalithaa writes letter to PM – 100 Villagers on fast from last 9 days
Halt Work of Nuclear Plant Jayalalithaa writes letter to PM – 100 Villagers on fast from last 9 days
Tamil Nadu – Chennai –
In 1988 the nuclear plant was sanctioned by the central government.
It will cost more than $ 3.5 billion and build by the Nuclear Power
Corporation of India (NPCIL).
The 2X1000 MW power plant is being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) with Russian help.
Location of the nuclear power plant –
The power plant, being set up 614 kilometres from Chennai in the Tirunelveli district.
The local population and fishermen in the coastal village of Koodankulam have been agitating against the project.
Villagers, mainly fishermen around Koodankulam, around 650 km from here, are protesting against the power plant fearing possible radiation and impact on their livelihood.
Jayalalithaa has tried to reassure villagers that the Indo-Russian joint venture in the Tirunelveli district will be designed to withstand a tsunami and is located in a region that is not prone to earthquakes.
But the villagers, protesters rejected this statement.
Note – After year 1986 Russia has not build Nuclear Plant.
120 Villagers anti-Koodankulam nuclear project protesters are on fast from last 9 days but no one cared for them.
On September 15 Jayalalithaa , Tamilnadu government sent 3 ministers to talk with villagers who are on fast and break their fast.
But villagers rejected it.
Now Jayalalithaa has written a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh regarding this.
She requested Prime Minister to Manmohan Singh that work on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project be halted till the fears of the people in the area are allayed, accusing the Centre of avoiding its responsibilities and duties.
With barely three months left for the commissioning of the first of the two 1 x 1000 MWe reactors set up at the coastal village of Koodankulam District, Jayalalithaa said the scope and magnitude of the issue was creating a fear psychosis among people and villages surrounding the project area.
"I request you to kindly issue suitable instructions to the concerned authorities that further work on this project may be halted, until this issue is settled," she said.
"It is unfortunate to see that the Centre is abdicating its responsibilities. The Prime Minister should have sent a high-level team to allay the fears and misgivings of people in Koodankulam area," she added.
Jayalalithaa said it was "surprising" to note that till date no responsible Minister or concerned higher authorities from the Union Government have visited the people or even attempted to assuage their misgivings.
Hitting out at Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan, she said it was naturally expected that the Union Minister, hailing from the state, would have made an attempt to visit these people.
Instead, Natarajan said her ministry has nothing to do with it and the subject comes under the purview of the Atomic Energy Commission, thereby "abdicating her duties as a Minister and absolving herself of any responsibility", Jayalalithaa said.
"Her remark that the Government officers would take care of the issue is callous in the extreme," she added.
The letter to Singh came amidst growing support to the protestors, including by opposition DMDK and MDMK.
Pointing out that AEC was directly under Singh's control, she urged him to send concerned competent authorities to hold discussions with people, address the fears and convince them.
"Since nobody from the Government of India has so far deemed it fit to visit Koodankulam, I propose to send an all party delegation led by O Panneerselvam, Minister for Finance, Government of Tamil Nadu, along with representatives of the people to call on you," she said.
The chief minister said the last few days have been very agonising for the people of Koodankulam as they are under great apprehension in the wake of the Fukushima (Japan) disaster and other similar calamities.
"It is only natural that the people living here fear for the safety of their families and for themselves," she said, adding that this issue was disturbing the normal life of the people.
The local population and fishermen in and around Koodankulam have been agitating against the project and intensified the protests in recent weeks. Around 100 persons are on an indefinite fast for the past nine days demanding that the project be shelved.
Jayalalithaa's demand for halting work comes just days after she deputed a Ministerial team to dispel fears about the plant and persuade the core group of protesters to give up their fast.
She also renewed her appeal to the protesters to give up the fast taking into account steps taken by her government.
Now where are those people who wrote against Anna Hazare and his fast.
Where are those politicians who opposed Anna Hazare?
Now no one is caring for them as we have become selfish or fearful of danda or whatever but no one has time to listen to the villagers.
Say No to Nuclear Plants and Nuclear Engery.
Every if you are planning then demand Made in India Nuclear Power Plants so once its build we will not have to beg to other nations to upgrade or provide materials.
Reality views by sm-
Monday, September 19, 2011
Tags – News Tamil Nadu CM Jayalalithaa Letter to PM Halt Nuclear Plant
