Even as the anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Programme protest is spreading to the neighbouring districts Former President Abdul Kalam will visit the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project on Sunday (November 6).
After holding discussion with senior officials of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), including its chairman S.K. Jain, and the KKNPP on Sunday morning, Mr. Kalam is expected to visit the project site to inspect the state-of-the-art active and passive safety features incorporated in the 2 X 1,000 MWe reactors being built with Russian assistance on an outlay of Rs. 13,171 crore.
Asked whether Mr. Kalam planned to meet the protesters' representatives, KKNPP officials said, “We don't know”.
The officials repeatedly said the visit of Mr. Kalam was being organised by the district administration. Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S. Bidari said he was not aware of the former President's programme schedule, as he had not received any “official intimation”.
District Collector R. Selvaraj said he would be meeting Mr. Kalam. Meanwhile, Tamil Nationalist Movement leader P. Nedumaran has condemned the Centre's efforts to use Mr. Kalam as mediator to talk to the protesters in Kudankulam to make them withdraw the protest.