[1]Prime Minister Manmohan Singh told Tamil Nadu chief minister J. Jayalaithaa over the telephone on Monday evening he would depute Union minister V. Narayanasamy to Koodankulam to hold talks with the protesters over their objections to the nuclear power plant coming up there.
Complimenting Jayalaithaa as the 'most intelligent among the chief ministers in the country', the PM sought her guidance on the sensitive issue.
Dr Singh was responding to Jayalalithaa’s letter in which she asked the PM to halt the 2,000 MW nuclear power project in Tirunelveli district 'till the issue is sorted out', according to a state government press release.
Saying in her letter that over one lakh people were taking part in the agitation, which had started with just 100 protesters, she sought an appointment for a delegation, to be led by Tamil Nadu finance minister O. Panneerselvam. Dr Singh agreed to meet the delegation after September 27 on his return from the United Nations General Assembly session in New York.
Blaming the UPA government for not creating awareness among the people in the region about the safety of the project, Jayalalithaa’s letter asked the PM to send competent authorities to hold discussions with the people of Koodankulam, address their fears and convince them.
“The scope and magnitude of this issue is creating a fear psychosis among the people around Koodankulam. It is surprising to note that till date no responsible minister or officials visited the people or even attempted to assuage their misgivings,” she had said in her letter to PM.
Finding fault with Union minister of state for environment Jayanthi Natarajan for stating that her ministry had nothing to do with the subject, the chief minister said it was naturally expected that Ms Natarajan would have at least made an attempt to call on the villagers.
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