A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi stressed the need of expanding nuclear energy production in India, the Shiv Sena — a National Democratic Alliance partner — clarified that it will continue to support the people of Maharashtra’s Konkan region who are protesting against the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP).
“We have always stood with the people of Jaitapur region. We will oppose the project till the people continue their opposition,” said Subhash Desai, Sena’s leader in the Assembly.
Asked whether the party would support any attempt from the Central government to dilute the people’s opposition, Mr. Desai said that even the previous government had tried this. “I am not sure whether this government’s attempt will work,” he said.
On his visit to the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) in Mumbai on Monday, Mr. Modi assured the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) of his full support in the implementation of its ambitious expansion programme and expressed the hope that the DAE would meet the target of increasing the capacity by three times from the present level of 5,780 MW by 2023-24 within the projected cost.
Mr. Desai said that while his party was against the JNPP, it supported Mr. Modi’s vision for the nuclear industry.
The proposed 9900MW JNPP is expected to boost India’s nuclear programme. The French company Areva will be supplying six European Pressurised Reactors (EPR), each with capacity of 1,650 MW, for the power plant.
The locals have been fiercely opposing the project since the last six years.
“Mr. Modi’s statement was not unexpected. He and his party have always been supportive of nuclear energy. Despite all this, we will continue our struggle against the project,” said Vivek Monteiro of the Konkan Bachao Samiti (KBS), which is fighting against the project.
