TN team divided over Koodankulam nuke project
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A ‘divided’ Tamil Nadu delegation, consisting of anti-nuke plant activists and representatives of political parties, will call on Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday in New Delhi, hoping to find a concrete solution to the controversial Koodankulam nuclear power project.
While the state government wants the Centre to allay the fears of the people, the protesters are bent on getting the government to close down the plant forever.
The delegation, led by finance minister O. Panneerselvam, will submit two memorandums to Mr Singh, indicating the difference between the state government and the anti-nuclear activists calling for scrapping of the nuke plant.
“The state government feels that the project be suspended till people’s fears are allayed, while we want the project to be scrapped,” said people’s movement against atomic power convenor S.P. Udayakumar.
Stating that it is not an all-party delegation, Mr Udayakumar said they wanted the inclusion of representatives from all parties which supported the agitation that saw thousands of locals rallying behind 127 persons of Idinthakarai village during their 12-day protest fast last month.
Besides the 13-member activists led by Mr Udayakumar, political leaders in the delegation are CPI national secretary D. Raja, AIADMK’s Rajya Sabha floor leader V. Maithreyan, TNCC president K.V. Thangkabalu and BJP’s Saravana Perumal.
“We know where the Prime Minister stands. Yet we will meet him tomorrow, submit our memorandum and see what happens. Of course, we hope to achieve a breakthrough,” said Udayakumar.
Asked about their threat to revive the stir and make it statewide from October 9 if work on the commissioning of the plant was not suspended, he said, “Whatever may be the outcome of the meeting, we have to tell our people about it. So, we will surely meet them on the planned day.”
Split decision on N–project
*Anti-nuke activists and political representations in the delegation disagree on the solution to the controversial Koodankulam issue.
*While the government seeks to suspend the project, protesters seek closure of the nuclear plant
*The delegation will be giving 2 memorandums to the PM expressing both points of view
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