Govt must not go ahead with Jaitapur n-power project: Opposition

Raising the issue during Zero Hour, Manohar Joshi (Shiv Sena) said his party was opposed to the project reflecting the sentiments of the people in the Konkan area of the state.

He alleged that a Maharashtra minister has been "trying to threaten" the people of the area but the Chief Minister remained silent.

Joshi said while people wanted the project to be shifted to any other place, the government wants to push it. If the project was not stopped, "it might take a serious turn", he said.

Joining him, D Raja (CPI) said there was an unprecedented repression against the local people opposing the project. "This repression should end," he said.

"The Government is promoting an untested technology in India which is objectionable," he said referring to the European Pressurised Reactor (EPR) being planned for the project.

Raja said the EPR of the French Areva company was not operational anywhere in the world.

The CPI member said the government was also trying to subvert the Indian liability law by coming out with "friendly rules" for the benefit of multinational corporations.
French President Nicolas Sarkozy during his visit to India had pressed for Indian liability laws to conform to the Vienna Convention, he said.

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd is setting up two 1650 MW nuclear power plants sourced from Areva at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district.

Tarun Vijay (BJP) said Pakistan has let loose economic terrorism on India by helping those involved in fake currency circulation.

Noting that there has been 250 per cent increase in counterfeit currencies in the country, he said terrorist forces were being strengthened by these operations.

He said according to intelligence report an official printing press in Baluchistan was being used for printing of fake notes which were routed to India via Nepal by the terrorist networks including Lashkar-e-Taiba.

Vijay said India should take up the issue with Pakistan.
However, Shivanand Tiwari (JD-U) demanded that Pakistani artists should be given visas in order promote neighbourly relations.

He cited an example of a Pakistani painter who made a portrait of Mahatma Gandhi with his blood. The painter wanted to present this to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh but was denied visa by the Indian government.

Similarly, Pakistani writers who wanted to attend the Jaipur literature festival were not given visas, he said.

He regretted that India is not helping moderate elements in Pakistan who are under threat from the fundamental elements in that country.

Narendra Kashyap (BSP) expressed concern over incidents of kidnapping in Chandigarh.