‘Rehabilitating locals was state’s responsibility’

In the backdrop of concerns about the rehabilitation of locals affected by the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant in Ratnagiri, the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) refuted claims by people affected by the Tarapur Atomic Power Station that they were not rehabilitated well.

In the backdrop of concerns about the rehabilitation of locals affected by the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant in Ratnagiri, the state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) refuted claims by people affected by the Tarapur Atomic Power Station that they were not rehabilitated well.

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The NPCIL builds and operates power plants in the country. “The Corporation did not implement the package [for the people of Tarapur]. It’s the state government’s responsibility, from constructing roads to providing drinking water,” SK Jain, chairman and managing director, NPCIL, said at Tarapur on Friday. “As against Rs10 crore that was agreed to with the state, the Corporation ended up spending Rs88 crore on rehabilitation.”

Stating that the rehabilitation of Tarapur residents that started in the 1960s took place in stages, Atomic Energy Commission chairperson, Srikumar Banerjee, said they will gain the confidence of residents at Jaitapur before going ahead. “There are always some people who will be satisfied and some who won’t.”

Banerjee said a meeting will be held by the end of the month to address issues arising out of misconceptions over the efficiency of light water reactors.

Reacting to the report by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences that said the Jaitapur plant will be a social disaster, Jain said, “It’s not a scientific report.”