Minister in Tamil Nadu to allay fears of n-plant protestors

The minister of state in the Prime Minister's Office gave the assurance a day after Tamil Nadu Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa wrote to the prime minister about fears looming large over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP).

"After the Japan Fukushima accident, there is fear in the minds of people that this area (Kudankulam) is also under threat, but as per the survey that has been conducted and security measures taken by the Nuclear Power Corporation, all the safety standards are being followed," Narayanasamy told news channels.

According to him, after the meltdown at the Fukushima nuclear power plant, the prime minister called officials of the department of nuclear energy and gave them instructions that whatever be the existing safety measures, further safety mechanisms have to be worked out.

"Accordingly, review committees were constituted and about two months back on the basis of the reports given by the committees, the further strengthening of security measures has been done by most nuclear plants including Kudankulam," Narayanasamy said.

"Now the plant is at the final stage of operation... and there is agitation by the local people and it's our duty to allay their fears and to tell of them that all safety measures have been taken," he added.

"Today I am meeting the chief secretary and will exchange views. Then I will go and meet the representatives of the agitating people and request them to withdraw their strike," Narayanasamy said.

"Tomorrow our officers will meet the Tamil Nadu chief minister and remove all the doubts that she may have," he added. On Monday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh spoke to the chief minister within hours of her writing to him for stoppage of work on the KNPP till the fears of villagers were cleared.