Public tribunal for Jaitapur to sit from May 19-21

Exactly one year after the much controversial public hearing, which was held for the proposed Jaitapur nuclear power plant, the anti-project activists on Monday announced the first ever ‘People’s Tribunal’ on the safety, viability and cost efficiency of nuclear energy.

The tribunal which will be headed by two retired judges will sit for three days in Mumbai between May 19-21 and record the depositions of experts, scientists, doctors and project affected persons from the Konkan and other regions of the country.

“The government has accused us of not being involved in the discussions. The discussions which they organised were only for the government-backed scientists and we had no say in it. Therefore, we are organising this independent tribunal, where scientists from both the sides can state their views. The report will be presented to the people and to the government in two months,” said justice BG Kolse-Patil, former judge of the Bombay high court and member of the Lokshasan Andolan.

Lokshasan Andolan, along with Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti, Maharahtra Macchimar Kruti Samiti, Janhit Sewa Samiti, Lokayat and Sabrang Trust in collaboration with St Xavier’s College, Mumbai has organised this tribunal.

“We want the hearing in front of an independent body. We will accept the report even if it goes against us. And therefore we have invited representatives of all the nuclear establishments,” said Kolse-Patil. He, however, said that in spite of inviting all the pro-JNPP scientists and government representatives, none of them have replied.

The sessions, which will be held in the three day long tribunal at St Xavier’s college, include topics such as the safety aspect of nuclear energy, radiation, safety and viability of Jaitapur itself, economic costs of nuclear electricity, democratising the debate of nuclear energy, and repression in Jaitapur.