Thaindian News

Chennai, Oct 15 (IANS) The blocking of entry points by anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) activists, preventing employees from going to work, is an unfortunate development and they should come to the negotiating table, V. Narayanasamy, minister of state in the prime minister’s office, said here Saturday.

Speaking to reporters, he said the agitators initially said their action would be peaceful. The blocking of employees from going to their office is unfortunate.

For the third day in succession, anti-KNPP activists have blocked all the entry points to the power plant.

It not only prevents the employees from going to work but also impacts the supply of essential items to hundreds of families living in the Kudankulam power plant complex.

Narayanasamy said the nuclear power project will not be shelved and the expert panel, as announced by the prime minister earlier, will be constituted once Tamil Nadu government and the protestors nominate their representatives.

He said the centre had finalised its representatives.

Narayanasamy said the plant would be commissioned after allaying the fears of the people. Protestors are demanding scrapping of the project citing nuclear power plant accidents like the one that happened at Fukushima in Japan following a tsunami.

Meanwhile, several contract labourers, mainly from Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal and Bihar, are quitting the place as there is an unspoken social boycott of them by the locals.

Power plant officials told IANS that the labourers were not able to buy kerosene and other items from the local market.

Speaking to reporters, S.P. Udayakumar, one of the activists leading the protest, said a call had been sent to all the political parties for a meeting Sunday.