No talks without documents, say protestors

TIRUNELVELI: Work on the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) in Tirunelveli is unlikely to recommence anytime soon with the talks between members of the Central and State panels breaking down here on Friday.“Our protest against the Koodankulam plant will continue. We will not meet the Central team again,” declared M Pushparayan, a member of the State panel and leader of the People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE).Anti-nuclear activists in the State panel took this hard line upset over the refusal of the Central panel, headed by A E Muthunayagam, to part with certain documents related to the Indo-Russian project. They accused the Central panel of speaking the language of the Department of Atomic Energy and sidestepping the concerns of the local population.In fact, the Central panel certified KKNPP as ‘safe for operation’ after the meeting. Muthunayagam said the observation was being made after ascertaining all details relating to the safety of the plant from the officials and also verifying documents. “Of course, the safety of the plant is vital for the people. But, there is no need to fear. The total system control mode is designed with necessary safety measures. The reactor is well designed and has also been approved by the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board. There will be no threat to life or livelihood of the people,” he said.However, he clarified that the panel was unable to part with certain documents sought by the people’s representatives as they were related to statutory Government bodies. “We cannot go beyond our purview,” he made it clear while reiterating that all safety measures were in place at KKNPP.Rejecting this argument, Pushparayan alleged that the Muthunayagam panel had failed to provide answers to questions aimed at allaying the fears of the people. “We were told not to ask unrelated questions. When we questioned the presence of a workforce of around 400 at the site, we were told that all works had been stopped and only 40 or so workmen were deployed,” he said. Asked if the PMANE and State panel would review their stand on not holding further talks with the Central team if the State government so desired, he said, “We would consider it.”