TIRUNELVELI, November 12, 2011
PMO sees foreign hand
STAFF REPORTER
The Hindu .
V. Narayanasamy, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said on Saturday that the anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KKNP) agitation was being funded by foreign agencies.
“We've already started investigation to unmask the foreign agencies actually funding the ongoing agitation against KKNPP even after the nuclear reactors' safety has been ensured by installing futuristic state-of-the-art safety features,” he told reporters here.
The country, which would be in need of 4.50 lakh MW power by 2020, was generating only 1.5 lakh MW. Hence, to achieve this goal, it was executing the nuclear power generation programmes, like the U.S., which was getting 20 per cent of its power from nuclear reactors.
At the same time, Mr. Narayanasamy said, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, which was constructing the reactors with Russian assistance, had incorporated sophisticated safety equipment in the reactors of KKNPP though it consumed considerable time and money.
The Minister said the protest was going on even after distinguished scientist and former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, after his personal inspection of the plant, had certified that the KKNPP reactors with its safety features were the safest in the world. “However, a group of people were misguiding the people, particularly the fishermen, with false propaganda against the KKNPP as they wanted to cripple its commissioning. Since we suspect the involvement of the foreign agencies in the ongoing protest, we've ordered for a comprehensive probe to unmask the foreign groups that fund those who organise the protest. This is not really a protest being orchestrated by the people,” he charged.
When asked to name the foreign agencies funding the protestors, the Minister said: “You know everything”.
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