With pressure mounting on the Tamil Nadu government to facilitate the early commissioning of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNPP) to mitigate the power crisis to some extent, Additional Director-General of Police (Law and Order) S. George visited the project site on Friday besides inspecting a few points around Idinthakarai, the protesters' headquarters.
The latest development is viewed as a precursor to action that may follow in the next couple of weeks to resolve the six-and-a-half month-old KKNPP impasse.
Along with Deputy Inspector General of Police, Tirunelveli Range, V. Varadharaju and Superintendent of Police Vijayendra S. Bidari, Mr. George inspected the intersections near S.S. Puram, Vairaavikinaru, Thomas Mandapam and Kooththankuzhi, all being largely used by the protesters either to assemble at Idinthakarai or to come out of the protest venue to gather near the Kudankulam police station for staging road roko whenever the agitation spills over to the main road.
Mr. George, who went inside the KKNPP project site at 11.15 a.m. after inspecting the intersections, visited the seashore, dyke, mini port and other vital areas along with a team of KKNPP officials. Though the top police officer's visit triggered ripples in the area, the organisers dismissed it as a part of maintaining law and order in the district.
“Since we're staging our protests on Gandhian principles, we've nothing to worry about the top police officer's visit to this area,” said S.P. Udayakumar.
Meanwhile, the protesters burnt the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam membership cards and dhotis with black and red border in protest against the DMK chief M. Karunanidhi's alleged remarks against the anti-KKNPP protest.
Staff Reporter adds from Nagercoil:
Later, at a press conference in Nagercoil after a review meeting, Mr. George said four companies of police had been deployed in and around KKNPP. The main purpose of his visit was to review the security arrangements made in Kudankulam, Mondaicadu, where the ‘Masi' festival would begin on Sunday, and Sankarankovil.
The police had already started a survey of migrant workers throughout the State in the wake of robberies in banks, financial institutions and jewellery shops.
Mr. George said he interacted with CISF and Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd officials to assess the security scenario in the area.
