SRIKAKULAM: In a major blow to environmentalists and green NGOs, who have been protesting against proposed nuclear and thermal power projects in Srikakulam district, chief minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy on Thursday asserted that none of the proposals would be spiked in the larger interest of country’s power requirement in future.At the same time, he assured that the government would ensure better compensation packages to the people to be affected by the projects.Talking to newsmen here, Reddy said the state government would get around 3,000 MW of power from the proposed Kovvada Nuclear Park (KNP). Though it was well known that the country’s power demand would multiply manifold in future, a certain section of society and opposition leaders were opposing the projects for their political survival, he said.Claiming that not a single acre of land had been acquired from people for power projects in the district without their prior approval, the chief minister said representatives of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited would hold further discussions with the locals over the KNP to sort out various issues.Reddy said major irrigation projects such as Polavaram and Pranahita-Chevella were included in prime minister Manmohan Singh’s list of important projects and the state government was putting pressure on the Centre for their early clearance.On illegal construction of irrigation projects across the Vamsadhara in Odisha, he did not give a direct reply.Reddy, who visited the Rajiv Institute of Medical Sciences (RIMS) here, sanctioned Rs 5 crore for completing six new blocks. He said it was the responsibility of the state government to get permission from the Medical Council of India for the continuance of courses and assured the students not to worry.He said all welfare schemes would continue with some modifications.Visakhapatnam: After making it clear in Srikaulam that no power project in the district would be withdrawn, the chief minister remained non-committal on the issue of mining in Visakhapatnam.Speaking at a press conference here, he said the government would take a decision on bauxite mining at an appropriate time.On power projects he said, “When a group of people expressed their opposition to nuclear power plant, I told the officers to explain the importance of the power plant and the cost factor to the people. But I never said that unless the people agrees, no project would be taken up.” On the opposition of Congress leaders V Hanumantha Rao, M Bhatti Vikramarka and others, who toured North Andhra recently, to mining and power projects, Reddy said the government was examining their report.He said Rs 50 crore would be immediately released for the Visakhapatnam Institute of Medical Sciences and Rs 30 crore for the King George Hospital. The 30-bed Primary Health Centres at Araku and Paderu will be upgraded to 100-bed hospitals. Each of the seven PHCs in the district will be given Rs 3 crore to have own buildings.A degree college will be set up in the Araku Valley, a women’s degree college at Koyyuru and a BEd college at Paderu.Reddy said said new buildings of 1,000 schools in the state would be inaugurated in the third week of this month. Ten model schools will also have new buildings.About nine lakh illiterate children will be enrolled into schools. Union minister D Purandeswari, state minister P Balaraju, district in-charge minister Vatti Vasantha Kumar, collector J Shyamala Rao and police commissioner J Purnachandra Rao were present.
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