Chennai:
Jayalalithaa has written to the Prime Minister asking that work be stopped at the Koodankulam nuclear power plant in Tamil Nadu. She has accused the centre of "abdicating" its responsibilities.
The power plant, being set up 614 kilometres from Chennai in the Tirunelveli district in the southern part of the state, has caused concerns about safety among villagers in the area, the Chief Minister writes.
She said a group of 100 villagers have been fasting for nine days against the power plant, and asked that the central government send "competent authorities" to talk to residents of the area.
"It is surprising that the centre has sent no minister to assuage misgivings," Jayalalithaa stated, adding that "The issue is creating fear psychosis in villages after Fukushima disaster." The Department of Atomic energy has also cleared the safety provisions the plant is equipped with.
Jayalalithaa has tried to reassure villagers that the Indo-Russian joint venture in the Tirunelveli district will be designed to withstand a tsunami and is located in a region that is not prone to earthquakes. In 2004, a tsunami ravaged parts of Tamil Nadu like the Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts.
The nuclear plant, expected to help Tamil Nadu's serious power problems, was sanctioned by the central government in 1988. It is expected to cost $3.5 billion and is being built by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCIL).
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Read: Entire letter written by Jayalalithaa to PM)