Trust and confidence of locals in Jaitapur nuclear power project important: MPCC

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has expressed full support to the 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, but said the state government should take all locals into confidence before going ahead.

The Maharashtra Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) has expressed full support to the 9900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project, but said the state government should take all locals into confidence before going ahead.

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The recommendation would be made to the state government in the report that is being prepared by the eight-member MPCC panel that visited Madban, Jaitapur and Sakhri-Nate villages, that are witnessing protests and opposition to the project, last week.

“We are of the view that the project should come up but with the trust and confidence of the local people,” MLC Subhash Chavan who led the eight-member panel told PTI.

He said the panel members met MPCC chief Manikrao Thakre on Monday morning and discussed their findings.

MPCC spokesman Hussain Dalwai, who was part of the team, said outsiders were spreading false information among locals, which had to be curbed. “Locals in Sakhri-Nate are very poor and they are dependent on fishing for their livelihood. They fear that the project might hurt their source of livelihood. Outsiders have further fuelled this fear,” Dalwai said. Similarly, in Madban there is the issue of compensation.

“They feel that the government will not pay adequate compensation for their land which is considered barren,” he added.

Dalwai said the party feels that clearing the doubts and misconceptions of the locals without use of police force and the best possible package of compensation is the need of the hour.

“We will submit our report to the MPCC chief in a day or two to be handed over to the government," they said.