Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Dec 19: A delegation of DMK party led by Member of Parliament Tiruchi Siva today met Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) of the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER), MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances & Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh and handed over to him a letter from DMK Tamil Nadu Legislative Party Leader, M.K. Stalin offering certain inputs regarding the Nuclear Power Plants in Tamil Nadu. In his letter, Stalin has expressed certain apprehensions appearing in a section of media regarding the safety of these projects.
In his response through Tiruchi Siva, Dr Jitendra Singh assured that all the necessary safeguards, as per international norms, are observed whenever a Nuclear Plant is established and the safety audits are also carried out from time to time by AERB (Atomic Energy Regulatory Board) as well as the international “World Association of Nuclear Operators”WANO). He said, the fears and apprehensions expressed are quite unfounded and there is being no such report of any hazard being caused on account of the presence of a Nuclear Plant, nor has there been any report of a defect ever causing any hazard.
It goes to the credit of the Modi Government, Dr Jitendra Singh said, that within three or four years, rapid strides have been made in pushing forward India’s Nuclear Programme, as a result of which several new atomic reactors are being set up and the process of establishing the existing ones has been expedited.
About another issue raised by the DMK delegation regarding the sharing of the power generated from these Nuclear Plants, Dr Jitendra Singh said that as a practice, the Department of Atomic Energy follows the Gadgil formula, which is also followed by the Ministry of Power and according to which, 50% of the power generated from a given Plant is entitled to be used by the home State.
Dr Jitendra Singh said, he would personally write to Stalin to acknowledge his letter and also direct the officials in the Department of Atomic Energy to keep the local elected representatives on board whenever any new decision is taken about the related matters.
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