Package includes facilities for repair of boats, cold storage

The State government's Rs.500-crore package for infrastructure development in Kudankulam consists of facilities for repairs of mechanised boats of fishermen and fish cold storage, according to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

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Announcing the State government's decision on the resumption of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNNP) in a five-page statement, Ms. Jayalalithaa stated that the package also included housing and road infrastructure improvement.

She gave an account of the findings of the Experts' Committee, formed by the State government, to hold negotiations with representatives of the local population.

According to the committee, there was no history of the occurrence of a major earthquake or tsunami in Kudankulam.

The government had taken genuine steps to allay apprehensions of the people living in and around Kudankulam.

The Union government's Experts Group had answered all questions raised by the representatives and made an elaborate examination of technical features and safety mechanism at the proposed plant.

In view of the reasons, the government could consider taking suitable steps and production of electricity. The Atomic Energy Department could be requested to take up socio-economic projects in the area for improving the quality of life of the local population.

The Chief Minister also made public recommendations of the committee. Awareness should be generated among Kudankulam people about favourable features of the plant. Arrangements should be made in Kundankulam for repairs of mechanised boats of the fishermen, who were now taking them to Nagercoil. A cold storage should be set up for the fishermen, Ms. Jayalalithaa added.

Gist of project

Giving a gist of the project, her statement exhaustively dealt with events that took place in the last six months, when the agitation against the project grew in strength. It also referred to the findings of the Union government's Experts Group, which had opined that there was no need for apprehensions over the project's safety mechanism and there would be no adverse impact on marine eco-system.

A senior official of the Consulate General of the Russian Federation in Chennai said he was yet to get official information about the State government's nod for the project.

“At present, I cannot talk anything about it, as no official information has been received from the State Government, officials of KKNPP or from the Russian engineers working at the site,” the official said.

(With inputs from R. Srikanth)