Thaindian News

Chennai, Feb 3 (IANS) The Tamil Nadu government will soon set up an expert committee to examine safety aspects of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) and any further action will only come after getting its report, Chief Minister J.Jayalalithaa said here Saturday.

Replying to the debate on the motion of thanks on the governor’s address, Jayalalithaa said: “The state government will soon set up an expert committee to look into safety aspects of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project and the fears of the local people about the project.”

Based on its report, the government will take further action, she added.

Tracing the history of the plant being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district (around 650 km from Chennai) and the struggle against the project by the local people, Jayalalithaa said her government would not allow any project that would affect the general public.

She noted the state cabinet had passed a resolution asking the central government to halt all work at KNPP and allay the fears of the local people.

Jayalalithaa said the central government had formed a 15-member expert panel to allay the fears of the people and to hold talks with them the state government set up a panel with three members from anti-KNPP and two government representatives.

She said the central and the state panels met on Nov 8, Nov 18, and Dec 15, 2011. At those meetings, the state panel raised various doubts and the central expert panel not only gave its replies in form of a report but also submitted a 77-page report declaring that the KNPP is safe.

The fourth and final round of talks between the central and the state panels was slated for Jan 31, 2012.

“Out of the three members of the anti-KNPP members, only one attended the meeting. The central panel gave one more report on that day and announced that its job is over,” Jayalalithaa said.

Speaking about the land grab cases in the state she said a total of 1,256.5 acres of land and 435,333 sq.feet of housing plots worth Rs.696 crore have been restored to rightful owners from land grabbers in the state.

“Till date 27,268 land grab complaints have been registered by the special cells and 1,056 cases have been booked. A total of 1,256.5 acres of land and 435,333 sq.feet of housing plots worth Rs.696 crore have been restored to their rightful owners.”

The chief minister said the people are now feeling secure that their properties are safe and free from land grabbers.

Detailing the relief and rehabilitation measures of the state government in the areas affected by severe cyclone Thane that crossed the Tamil Nadu coast last December, Jaylalithaa proudly said the government has created a record.

Comparing the speed at which relief measures were carried out by her government after the Thane cyclone with that of DMK government’s efforts when cyclone Nisha hit the state, Jayalalithaa said her government had acted far much faster even though the damage was of lesser magnitude.