Narayanasamy urges Koodankulam nuke plant protestors to return to negotiations

Chennai, Oct 15 (ANI): Terming the ongoing protests against the set up of the Koodankulam Nuclear power project in Tamil Nadu as 'unfortunate', Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, V. Narayanasamy, on Saturday urged the protestors to return to negotiations with an open mind.

He asked the protestors to stop the agitation and negotiate.

"Let us discuss whatever apprehension you have with an open mind we will discuss and then we will try to remove your apprehensions and the doubt in your mind," said Narayanasamy.

Narayanasamy further informed that the Tamil Nadu Government would set up a committee in the coming week, which would comprise of a delegation, representing the agitators and members of the state government.

He said that a committee to be set up of scientists would meet the protestors and discuss their grievances about the nuclear plant.

"We have also coordinated with the Tamil Nadu Government, the Chief Minister's office, I have already discussed with them and they will be constituting a committee, that's what we feel, because we will be talking to them. From central side, the Prime Minister is ready to constitute the committee, therefore both the committees can discuss and views of the people will be heard through the committee," said Narayanasamy.

"Our committee, the independent committee, scientists' committee will clarify all doubts in the mind of those people, therefore the solution can be arrived at by negotiation, discussion, not by this kind of barking the people," he added.

Anti-Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant activists had on Friday prevented the entry of workers and scientists into the nuclear plant complex for the second consecutive day.

The project, which is being set up as a joint collaboration between India and Russia, envisages to build two 1,000 MW type reactors by the end of December 2011.

However, in the wake of the Fukushima incident in Japan, several nuclear projects across India such as one at Jaitapur in Maharashtra have run into rough weather as protesting locals and activists argue that such plants could adversely affect the environment.

There are 20 nuclear reactors in operation in six power plants, generating over 4,000 megawatts of electricity while five other plants are under construction. (ANI)