NCP criticises Centre’s ‘in principle’ nod for Jaitapur nuclear site
The Hindu
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A day after the Centre said that an in principle nod had been accorded for setting up six nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra’s Ratnagiri district, the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) on December 17 said no project could be forcibly carried out nor was any development possible without taking the local populace into confidence.
Union Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said in a written reply to the Rajya Sabha on December 16 that an ‘in principle’ approval had been accorded to a site in Jaitapur for setting up six nuclear power reactors of 1,650 MW each in technical cooperation with France.
In response, NCP spokesman and Maharashtra Minister Nawab Malik observed, “No development is possible without securing the confidence of locals. While the [Jaitapur nuclear power plant] decision had been taken in the earlier government [UPA], owing to opposition, the project did not go forward.” Until doubts were fully dispelled, it was not proper to carry through with any project.