Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan has announced a hike in compensation for the project-affected people from Jaitapur.
While rubbishing the worries raised about the environment and security in regard to the nuclear project, Chavan said that the resistance against it was driven by the misconception spread due to vested interests.
The issue related to the proposed project at Jaitapur in Ratnagiri district was discussed in the state assembly for more than three hours on Monday. The Shiv Sena opposed the project, while BJP and MNS demanded respectful rehabilitation of the affected people and scientific answers to the questions put up by the people opposing the project.
The chief minister uprightly claimed that the project is the most clean and environment-friendly among all the power plants and
will generate the cheapest power.
“The district administration has conducted the referendum to judge the public opinion. The locals are in favour of the project, but the leaders with vested interest are spreading rumours and wrong information about the project. The government will reach to the people of Konkan and answer all the questions raised,” he said.
Chavan said that the worries raised about radiation and rise in temperature of the water to be used for the project are baseless as the Automic Energy Regulatory Agency (AERA) approved the project following strict norms.
“It is true that the temperature of the sea water would go up after the discharge of water from the plant, but it would not affect fishing. It has been a proven fact that the nuclear project at Chennai has not affected fishing,” he assured.
Chavan said that since the project does not discharge ash, smoke or carbon dioxide, it would not affect horticulture in the region.
While claiming that the project will help the country to reach its target of 6lakh MW power generation by 2030 taking the per capita consumption to international level, the chief minister said that the project would help bringing prosperity to the Konkan region.
“The government is committed to give a raise in the amount of compensation already announced. There should not be any hesitation in giving sizeable compensation to the affected people in such a huge project,” he said.
Chavan said that he would personally meet the people resisting the project along with the experts form from the nuclear commission, Bhabha Automic Research Centre and the company implementing the project.
Dissatisfied with the reply by the chief minister, the Shiv Sena and BJP staged a walkout.
