ID :
208410
Tue, 09/20/2011 - 21:47
Auther :

Koodankulam standoff continues; agitators snub PM's emissary

Koodankulam (TN), Sept 20 (PTI) Stalemate over the
controversial Koodankulam nuclear power project continued
despite efforts by the Indian Prime Minister's emissary to
break the ice even as the indefinite fast by locals demanding
scrapping of the project entered the tenth day on Tuesday.
Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanasamy rushed to
south Indian state Tamil Nadu to allay the fears of the local
population, up in arms against the project over safety
concerns, visited the protest site and made efforts to hold
discussions with the leaders but in vain.
"The people's sentiments are very strong. I will convey
this to the Prime Minister before he goes abroad (tomorrow),"
he told reporters at nearby Idinthakarai, the epicentre of the
protests where 100-odd people are on indefinite fast.
High drama preceded his visit to the protest venue as the
core group of agitators declined to meet him in Radhapuram
area here, saying the invitation came at the eleventh hour and
was conveyed through a junior village official.
"It was an insult to our sentiments. We were not
respected. Hence we decided not to meet the Minister at
Radhapuram," S V Udhayakumar, Convenor of the People's
Movement against Atomic Power, said in the presence of
Narayanasamy.
Citing the same grounds, Udhayakumar also said they have
dropped the plans to meet Chief Minister Jayalalithaa tomorrow
to discuss their demands. He made it clear that their protest
would continue till the project was scrapped.
Narayanasamy said he would meet Jayalalithaa in Chennai
on Wednesday.
Enroute to Koodankulam, Narayanasamy said in Chennai, "All
safety measures in the plant are intact. We are hopeful that
we will be able to convince the people and allay their fears."
Narayanasamy has been deputed by the Prime Minister after
Jayalalithaa yesterday shot off a strongly-worded letter to
him, accusing the Centre of "abdicating" its responsibilities
to address the safety concerns of the people and urged him to
halt the project till the issue is settled.
The agitation against the project has intensified since
late last month after the authorities announced that the first
of the two 1x1000 MW reactors set up under Indo-Russian
collaboration would be commissioned in December.
Social activist Medha Patkar pledged her support to the
protest and said the state cabinet should pass a resolution
demanding stopping of work on the project which has already
undergone the hot-run test with dummy nuclear fuel.
Patkar told reporters in Chennai after meeting protesters
that they were concerned about safety aspects. "When West
Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee could stop Haripur
nuclear power plant, why not the Koodankulam plant (be
halted)? Tamil Nadu government should also follow a similar
approach", she said.

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