Fourth round of talks over KNPP planned for January 31

The fourth round of meeting between the Central experts committee and Tamil Nadu Government panel set up to break the impasse over the Koodankulam nuclear power plant has been planned to be held on January 31.

"The next meeting between the state panel which also comprises representatives of the protestors and the 15-member central expert committee has been planned on January 31 in Tirunelveli Collectorate," NPCIL sources said today.

The previous three rounds of talks between the panels held on November 7, 18 and December 15 last year failed to make any headway towards commissioning of the first unit at the KNPP located in Tirunelveli district as local people protesting against the project were not satisfied with the replies given by the expert group to their queries.

Meanwhile, NPCIL Director (Technical) Shiv Abhilash today said commissioning of first unit at KNPP would take at least three to four months after the impasse was cleared.

"The whole process (of commissioning) will take three to four months after loading the fuel. But, when we will load the fuel is the question," Abhilash told reporters here.

Describing the logjam as "an obvious a set back" he said, "By now, we should have supplied power to the country. Our estimate this year was that we should have supplied 6,000 million units from Koodankulam reactors. So, equivalent amount of revenue is not coming back."

On units 3 and 4, he said, "As far as NPCIL is concerned, it has finished its evaluation.

The proposal is with the government right now in various stages of approval. The moment we get the approval, we will start (work)."

When asked about the recent transfer of around 12 NPCIL officials from KNPP, he said, they were shifted since they were "idle" and other plants required the manpower.

He said 100 contract employees were working now at the Koodankulam plant and it would need more staff during the commissioning process.