Kudankulam:
For the second time, Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has strongly criticised Prime Minister Manmohan Singh for the Kudankulam nuclear plant row, saying her government is very clear that there should be no work at the site unless public fears are addressed. "Protests are happening only because Centre hasn't suspended work. The Prime Minister promised joint committee, but nothing happened," she said today.
Ms Jayalalithaa accused the Centre of trying to play a blame game against the state government and also said that it is the responsibility of the Centre to allay public fear.
DMK chief M Karunanidhi joined in today accusing both the Centre and the state governments. "There should not be any danger to the people of Kudankulam. Both the Central and the state governments should ensure that the safety issue is addressed," Mr Karunanidhi said.
Villagers at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu have launched their third phase of protest today, demanding closure of the upcoming nuclear power plant. And this time, it's an indefinite relay hunger strike, but farther away from the plant.
"We've planned to launch an indefinite relay hunger strike. This time, people from the adjoining coastal districts of Tuticorin and Kanyakumari too would join. If the plant work resumes, thousands of villagers will lay siege outside the plant, come what may," said S P Udhayakumar, Coordinator, People's Movement against Nuclear Energy.
The strike was suspended for two days to enable residents to exercise voting in the local polls. Last week, the locals had blocked all entry points to the Kudankulam complex, thus hampering the supply and resultant shortage of essential commodities.
A third of the plant's 6000-strong contract workers have already left the town out of fear.
The Centre has, however, rejected the request for stoppage of work at the plant. It, instead, has assured that the plant - designed to generate more nuclear power than anywhere else in the country - meets international safety standards.
In fact, the Prime Minister has personally intervened in the matter, assuring locals of allaying all fears about the project. He has also written to Ms Jayalalithaa twice, asking for her support for the power plant. But it hasn't met with the desired response. Ms Jayalalithaa has asked the Union Government to suspend operations at the nuclear plant till the villagers are convinced they are safe. "We will act respecting concerns of local people in the Kudankulam nuclear plant issue. I will be one among you in this issue", she had said.
The vexed project though has found a voice of support from former President A P J Abdul Kalam. One of the prominent pro-nuclear faces in the country, Mr Kalam batted for the plant saying that nuclear energy is clean energy.
The first of the two reactors at the plant was originally scheduled to start functioning alter this month. The nuclear plant is being built for nearly Rs. 13,000 crore and is expected to help solve Tamil Nadu's considerable power problems.