Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has said the Centre will announce the setting up of a high-level group on the Kudankulam nuclear plant issue “today or tomorrow.”
Dr. Singh had offered to set up a group to assuage the fears of the local population and the State government in a letter to Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa which never reached her.
The first unit of the Russian-assisted Kudankulam plant is slated to go critical over the next two months. It will by far be the biggest civil nuclear plant in the country but the site has been the scene of protests by locals and civil society activists who feel safety is an issue in the wake of radiation leak at a nuclear power plant in Japan.
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Dr. Singh expressed surprise over Ms. Jayalalithaa's comments that his letter had not reached her and said he would enquire into it when he got back to the country.
The Prime Minister said:
“I have offered to the Chief Minister that we will set up a high-level group to interact with the State government, to interact with the local population. That will be set up today or tomorrow.
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“I have seen that comment. I had sent a letter. When I go back I will find out why the letter that was sent did not reach her in time. But I do feel that we can give reasonable satisfaction to all the stakeholders who are worried about the safety of the plant at Kudankulam.”