Several Opposition parties, trade unions and NGOs joined hands to garner support for the intensive agitation and awareness programmes to oppose the proposed atomic power plant at Kovvada in Ranasthalam mandal, Srikakulam District. The CPI(M), CPI, CITU, Forum for Development of North-Andhra Region and the Paryavarana Parirakshana Sangham will hold a crucial meeting on October 23 in the APNGOs Association meeting hall here to chalk out the action plan to mobilise the maximum support for the movement. Former Union Energy Secretary EAS Sarma, FDNA convenor Aja Sarma, CITU State president Ch. Narasinga Rao and several leaders would attend the conclave, according to CITU-Srikakulam district general secretary D. Govinda Rao. “Both the Union and the State governments turned Srikakulam as an experiment centre for atomic and thermal plants though the people are vehemently opposing such proposal.”
‘Dangerous move’
“It is a very dangerous move to establish the project with a capacity of 10,000 MW in Srikakulam alone. We don’t find such huge project at a single location anywhere in the world. The government is playing with the lives of lakhs of people living in the region,” alleged Mr. Govinda Rao.
“We could get the support from all workers and employees working in Pydibhimavaram industrial zone. It will get further strength with the joining of many organisations in continuing the protest in a systematic way. The top leaders of various organisations will take many decisions on October 23 when the conclave takes place.”
Meanwhile, the Srikakulam district administration and the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) planned programmes to get the support from locals by highlighting the Rs.1 lakh crore investment the project would bring.
According to the officials, the majority of the people living in Kovvada, Chintakovvada, Kotapalem, Tekkali and other areas cooperated with the administration and allowed teams to complete land survey.
“We are going to finalise the land for the construction of colony for families which will be displaced by the project. The locals positively responded for the Dharmavaram site. It is a sign of positive response from the locals,” said a senior official. “The Left parties and a few organisations may continue to oppose the project in accordance with their policies. But the uproar might not get support from the locals since they wanted development of the region,” he added.
