Minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy arrived here on Tuesday en route to Koodankulam to hold talks with the locals who are agitating for the past 10 days against the proposed nuclear plant there.

"All safety measures in the plant are intact. We are hopeful that we will be able to convince the people and allay their fears over the plant," he told reporters.

Narayanasamy has been deputed by prime minister Manmohan Singh to visit Koodankulam to talk to the people agitating against the project.

Singh's action came after he spoke to Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa on Monday seeking her guidance to resolve the issue after she shot off a letter to him, accusing the Centre of "abdicating" its responsibilities to address the safety concerns of the people.

Jayalalithaa had written to the Prime Minister, asking him to halt the project till the issue is settled.

The agitation against the project has intensified since late last month after the authorities announced that the first of the two 1x1000 MWe reactors set up at the coastal village of Koodankulam would be commissioned in December.

PTI Reports

PM seeks Jaya's help in controlling N-plant protests

Acting swiftly after Tamil Nadu chief minister Jayalalithaa accused the Centre of "abdicating" its responsibilities, prime minister Manmohan Singh on Monday spoke to her seeking her guidance to resolve the issue arising out of protests over the Koodankulam nuclear power project.

Hours after Jayalalithaa shot off a strongly-worded letter asking him to halt the work on the project till the safety concerns were addressed, Singh also said he would depute minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy to Koodamkulam to talk to the people who are agitating against the project.

"The prime minister stated that Jayalalithaa was the most sagacious chief minister in India and he needed her guidance on the issue," a state goverment release said.

Singh also assured her that he would meet the delegation that she planned to send to meet him on the issue after his return from New York on September 27.

With the fast by over 100 locals in the area against the project entering the ninth day today, Jayalalithaa said the scope and magnitude of the issue was creating a fear psychosis among people and villages surrounding the project area.

"It is unfortunate to see that the Centre is abdicating its responsibilities. The Prime Minister should have sent a high-level team to allay the fears and misgivings of people in Koodankulam area," she said.

"I request you to kindly issue suitable instructions to the concerned authorities that further work on this project may be halted, until this issue is settled," she said.

Her missive came three days after she herself sought to allay the fears of local population that the Indo-Russian joint venture in Tirunelveli district has adequate safety parameters and appealed to agitators to end their fast.

The agitation against the project has intensified since late last month after the authorities announced that the first of the two 1x1000 MWe reactors set up at the coastal village of Koodankulam would be commissioned in December.

Jayalalithaa said it was "surprising" to note that till date no responsible Minister or concerned higher authorities from the union government have visited the people or even attempted to assuage their misgivings.