Karnataka Bullish on Proposed Nuclear Plant, AP too is Keen.

Karnataka is ready to lock horns with Andhra Pradesh to get a nuclear power plant, which was originally meant to come up at Haripur in West Bengal.

Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka have expressed readiness to offer land for the project.

The positive response from the two states has come as a respite for the Union government which had approached Kerala and Odisha, apart from West Bengal, for possible nuclear plant sites. These states had, however, expressed reluctance in providing sites.

The site selection committee, constituted by the Union government, had allocated the Haripur site to build the nuclear power reactor with Russian collaboration.

However, the project did not take off due to stiff resistance from the locals, backed by political parties. In 2011, Rosatom, the Russian counterpart of India’s Department of Atomic Energy (DAE), asked India for an alternate site.

During Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit to India in December last year, Russia, which has offered to build 12 more nuclear power reactors, had again exerted pressure on India over the issue.

Energy Minister D K Shivakumar told Express that the state government has a positive approach towards the proposed 1000MW nuclear power plant.

'The purpose of any government is to utilise the opportunities that come on its way. We will analyse the pros and cons of the project and take the final call. There is no need to reject the opportunity, apprehending protests against the proposed project,' he said.

When asked about opposition in the state for the expansion of Kaiga Nuclear Plant and the expected protests from the people of coastal region where it has been proposed in order to meet the need for huge amount of water as coolant for the plant, Shivakumar said, 'We will try to convince the protesters. We have to accept power projects in the larger interest of the state. We will take a final decision after examining all the pros and cons.'


THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS