New Delhi:
The Russian Ambassador to India has backed Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's claims that NGOs based in the United States are fuelling protests at the Kudankulam nuclear plant in Tamil Nadu. Alexendar Kadakin says he "had suspected it all along".
"The protests at Kudankulam are supported by NGOs of America and Scandinavian countries. We suspected it all along. They were sleeping for six months and suddenly they raise their voice against the most secure, the best and the safest station in the world. We were perplexed," Mr Kadakin said.
Speaking to NDTV's Science Editor Pallava Bagla during an interview for Science magazine, the Prime Minister said, "What's happening in Kudankulam...the atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don't appreciate the need for our country to increase the energy supply."
After the PM's remarks, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy claimed that private NGOs working in US and Scandinavian countries were giving money to NGOs for the protests in India.
But representatives of NGOs opposing the Kudankulam plant say these claims are not true. "We did not receive any money from any international agency. Mr Narayanasamy said we received Rs 1.5 crore from foreign countries. But when I challenged him in court, he said he did not say that. The PM should have appreciated us. But he's making claims without substantiating. In a democratic country, the PM should listen to the people," said SP Udhayakumar, the coordinator of People's Movement against Nuclear Energy.
The Rs. 13,000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Being built with Russian collaboration, the plant is expected to provide respite from the power shortage problem in the state. But the Indo-Russian joint venture has run into trouble with activists and locals staging massive protests citing safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan early last year. As a result of these frequent protests, the commissioning of two 1000 megawatt nuclear reactors at the plant has been stalled.
Several rounds of talks between the Central government-appointed expert panel and representatives of villagers opposing the plant have failed to end the stand-off. The villagers say they fear for their lives and safety in case of a nuclear accident and the long-term impact it would have on the population in the area.
"The protests at Kudankulam are supported by NGOs of America and Scandinavian countries. We suspected it all along. They were sleeping for six months and suddenly they raise their voice against the most secure, the best and the safest station in the world. We were perplexed," Mr Kadakin said.
Speaking to NDTV's Science Editor Pallava Bagla during an interview for Science magazine, the Prime Minister said, "What's happening in Kudankulam...the atomic energy programme has got into difficulties because these NGOs, mostly I think based in the United States, don't appreciate the need for our country to increase the energy supply."
After the PM's remarks, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office V Narayanasamy claimed that private NGOs working in US and Scandinavian countries were giving money to NGOs for the protests in India.
But representatives of NGOs opposing the Kudankulam plant say these claims are not true. "We did not receive any money from any international agency. Mr Narayanasamy said we received Rs 1.5 crore from foreign countries. But when I challenged him in court, he said he did not say that. The PM should have appreciated us. But he's making claims without substantiating. In a democratic country, the PM should listen to the people," said SP Udhayakumar, the coordinator of People's Movement against Nuclear Energy.
The Rs. 13,000-crore Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KNPP) is located in Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu. Being built with Russian collaboration, the plant is expected to provide respite from the power shortage problem in the state. But the Indo-Russian joint venture has run into trouble with activists and locals staging massive protests citing safety concerns in the wake of the Fukushima disaster in Japan early last year. As a result of these frequent protests, the commissioning of two 1000 megawatt nuclear reactors at the plant has been stalled.
Several rounds of talks between the Central government-appointed expert panel and representatives of villagers opposing the plant have failed to end the stand-off. The villagers say they fear for their lives and safety in case of a nuclear accident and the long-term impact it would have on the population in the area.
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