Minister says three NGOs fuelled K-plant protest

Feb 25, 2012 - Rashme Sehgal |

New Delhi

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Taking a cue from PM Manmohan Singh, who said in an interview with a leading journal that NGOs funded from the US and Scandinavian countries were trying to stall Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant, minister of state in PMO V. Narayanasamy came out hard on Friday against three NGOs based in Tirunelveli and Thoothukudi, which have been spending 'huge sums of money on this anti-nuclear agitation'.

Mr Narayanasamy told DC, “When we began making inquiries into sources of funding, the NGOs said they collected money from local fishermen.

“But the fisher folk had not gone fishing for months, so where are they in a position to make donations. When we probed the matter further, we found money was being pumped in from the US and Scandinavian nations.”

Licences of three NGOs were cancelled after a home ministry inquiry found them diverting funds meant for social causes, such as helping the physically handicapped and leprosy affected, were being diverted to fuel the anti-nuclear plant protest.

The minister also insisted that the central government continued to enjoy the support of the state government since Tamil Nadu was facing acute power shortage.

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