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Money, liquor fuelled anti-Kudankulam nuclear stir: Govt

Author: Rajeev Deshpande
Publication: The Times of India
Date: February 27, 2012
URL: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Money-liquor-fuelled-anti-Kudankulam-nuclear-stir-Govt/articleshow/12048366.cms

In response to anti-Kudankulam nuclear plant protestors threatening to sue Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, the government is ready to reveal records showing how foreign funds were used to give local agitators daily handouts of money, food and liquor.

 The government is ready to back its charge that groups opposed to the Kudankulam nuclear plant diverted donations received under the Foreign Contribution Regulation Act for purposes other than stated objectives like health and education. The money helped sustain the stir at Kudankulam.

 People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) has denied that it has used any inducements to motivate protestors.

 Government sources said an investigation into the use of foreign funds and local reports showed that agitators were being given a daily food packet and liquor besides Rs 500 a day. "We are ready to reveal the records with the government," said the sources.

 PMANE convenor S P Udaykumar has said he is prepared to file a defamation suit against the PM for insinuating foreign funds were used to fund the stir. He has said that while he is on the expert panel of reconciliation resource network attached to the Sweden-based Institute of Democratic and Electoral Alliance (IDEA), he has nothing to do with money transactions.

 The face-off between the agitators and the government is likely to deepen as the Centre does not seem ready to back off and the ant-nuclear protestors may be asked to explain use of large amounts of foreign funding received by organizations that have rallied local fisherfolk against the project.

 "We have received certain reports about the NGOs in Tirunelveli and Thuthukudi around the Kudankulam project being funded by organizations from US and Scandinavian countries. This is based on home ministry investigations," MoS in PMO V Narayanasamy said.

 The role of church groups has also been commented upon with some quarters feeling that the clergy is worried that the economic benefits of the power plant might wean local population from their traditional lifestyles and beliefs.

 The National Council of Churches in India (NCCI) had initiated an email campaign asking the Union Cabinet to rescind the project. The Church of South India had also expressed concern over likely environmental and health hazards.

 With the PM naming foreign NGOs for backing the agitation and three outfits being banned, the government is ready to push on with the commissioning of the first 1,000 mw unit once it has received the green signal from the Tamil Nadu government.

 Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalitha had earlier requested the Centre to place the operationalisation of the plant on hold pending resolution of the concerns expressed by local communities. A state government appointed expert group has examined the plan and is due to submit its report. "Once the report is in, the plant will be commissioned," said official sources.

 As the months wore on, the state government was assured that the plant met high standards of safety and that those opposed to it were fundamentally against use of nuclear power.

The Fukushima disaster in Japan where a giant tsunami led to a crippling power breakdown saw release of radioactive steam and a series of explosions and three reactors experienced full meltdown has prompted fresh global worry over nuclear plants. This saw the agitation against Kudankulam gather pace although the plant is on the verge of completion.
 
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