The four-member expert committee set up by the Tamil Nadu government to look into the people’s concerns about Koodankulam nuclear power project will meet in the city on Friday.

The team is expected to start its work soon and submit its report to the state government. Sources say the team will also visit the Koodankulam site and interact with people and allay their fears.

Meanwhile, the state government seems to have relented on its stand on commissioning the plant in the wake of the worsening power crisis.

Sources say the state government is expecting the team report in a matter of few weeks after which the Koodankulam plant will be commissioned.

“The power crisis is hitting us hard and Koodankulam is ready now. We will get about 975 MW from the plant,” say sources.

The appointment of M. R. Srinivasan, member, Atomic Energy Commission, as the head of
the four-member team is seen as change in the stance of the government.

Despite protests by the representatives of people fighting against Koodankulam nuclear power plant, the government has decided not to replace Srinivasan.

Anti-nuke protesters hopeful

Upset by chief minister Jayalalithaa’s lack of response to their demand for removing former Atomic energy commission (AEC) chairman, M.R. Srinivasan from the four member expert panel constituted to look into the Koodankulam nuclear power project (KKNPP) controversy, anti-nuke activists, however, said on Thursday that they had not lost faith in the state government.

“Going by the government’s stand on issues like the death penalty for three Tamils and on the Mullaiperiyar dam row, we believe the chief minister will not disregard the sentiments of the coastal people who feel unsafe around the nulcear power plant in Koodankulam,” said prominent People’’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy member M. Pushparayan, while admitting that the state government’s indifference to their demand to exclude Mr Srinivasan from the panel had disappointed the fishermen community.

TN should make stand clear on N-plant: BJP

BJP state president Pon Radhakrishnan has demanded the state government to clearly explain its stand on the Koodankulam issue, even as he asserted that Tamil Nadu cannot cope with the acute power crisis gripping the state without commissioning the nuclear power plant in Tirunelveli district.

“Solving the power crisis was one of the poll assurances of the ruling AIADMK government…it should explicitly tell its stand on the Koodankulam issue, which is stalling power generation,” Mr Radhakrishnan said blaming the successive Dravidian parties for plunging TN into a power crisis.

He said that frequent power outages had reached an all-time high, adversely affecting the student community.

“The eight hours of power cut has put many industries in a predicament over sustaining the production. A large number of persons would lose jobs if industries close down due to lack of power,” he said. The BJP would organise a state-wide novel ‘lights-off’ agitation on February 24 protesting against the frequent power outages. The party members would hold a lighted lantern or torchlight to highlight the plight of the people.