Expert group on Kudankulam project likely after PM's return from abroad

Slammed by Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Jayalalithaa for the stalemate over the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project issue, the Centre today said an expert group is likely to be set up this week after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh returns from his overseas trip.

Hours after Jayalalithaa accused the Centre of "inaction" and blamed it for the impasse, Minister of State in the PMO V Narayanaswamy said the Centre would also seek the "guidance" of former President APJ Abdul Kalam on ways to dispel the apprehensions of the people over the KNPP project.

"The Centre's expert group, comprising scientists from the environment, nuclear and ocean fields, will be set up after the Prime Minister's return from South Africa. It will be a neutral body and there will not be any representative from the Atomic Energy Commission," Naryanaswamy told PTI from Delhi.

Singh would return from South Africa tomorrow and the group is expected to be set up this week, he said after Jayalalithaa issued a strongly worded statement accusing the Centre of doing little to allay the fears of locals who have again launched their agitation against the project.

Jalayalithaa took exception to Narayanaswamy's statement that the Centre was still awaiting the state government's response on composition of the expert committee, which the Prime Minister had promised to send to allay the fears of the locals, causing delay.

Describing Narayanaswamy's remarks as "a deliberate attempt to put the blame on the state government", she said the Minister, sent as an emissary of the Prime Minister to meet the agitators, had not taken any steps to allay their fears.

"The Centre has not taken any action despite assurances from the Prime Minister," Jayalalithaa said, recalling Singh's assurance on the expert panel to the multi-party delegation led by state Finance Minister O Panneerselvam during their recent meeting.

"One doubts if the Centre is working with the intention of blaming the state government (over the stalemate). The people are forced to take to protests including hunger strike since the Centre has not suspended work at the power plant," she said.

The Chief Minister said she was determined that work on the project was put on hold till people's fears are allayed.

Responding to Jayalalithaa's October 12 letter, Singh had offered to set up a small group of experts suitably involving the Tamil Nadu government to interact with representatives of the local people to satisfy their legitimate concerns.

Narayanaswamy said the Centre would also seek Kalam's "guidance" on allaying fears of the people on the safety aspect of the Indo-Russian nuclear power project, the first phase of which is expected to be commissioned in December.

"I will be meeting Kalam in a day or two to seek his guidance on the issue. Kalam hails from that area and cares for the people," he said.

Significantly, Kalam, a noted space scientist, had said last week that he would visit all nuclear reactors across coastal belts to hold discussions with scientists.

"I will visit all these reactors across coastal belts and personally hold discussions with the scientists about all aspects. It will take at least 10 days to visit and gather all information, after which a report will be made," he had said.