Work on commissioning the first unit of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project is progressing in full swing and once commissioned, the second one will commence operations in six-eight months, Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Sreekumar Banerjee said on Thursday.

Works at the Indo-Russian joint venture came to a standstill following the stir by anti-nuclear activists for over seven months and had resumed after the Jayalalithaa government gave go ahead to the project on March 19.

According to Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, 99.2 per cent work has been completed at Unit-I, 94.6 per cent work is over in Unit-II, both capable of producing 1,000 MW each.

Banerjee along with NPCIL Chairman and Managing Director S K Jain and senior officials today reviewed the progress of works at the site and interacted with local authorities.

Speaking to reporters, Banerjee said Unit-I was kept at high pressure and temperature for long.

"First we have to depressurise, lower the temperature of the Unit-I reactor. For this, we have to open the pressure vessel and make an inspection."

Based on this, a report would be submitted and after clearance from AERB, removal of dummy fuel and refilling the actual uranium fuel loading would be taken up and Unit-I would go in for criticality, he said.

"All these steps will be done in the shortest possible time and then (the unit will) go in for criticality."

On mock drill, Banerjee said it was an International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulation but it did not necessarily mean evacuation of people.

When asked on Tamil Nadu's request to the Centre to allot the entire 2,000 MW power to be generated by the two units to it in view of the severe electricity shortage, he said electricity distribution was not in NPCIL's hands.

As of now Tamil Nadu has been allotted 925 MW, Kerala 226 MW, Karnataka 442 MW, Puducherry 67 MW and requirement for the Kudankulam project is 300 MW.

Banerjee said Kudankulam would not have a reprocessing plant.

Asked about rehabilitation measures, Jain said NPCIL had paid compensation to the land holders and the amount was deposited with the state government.

Nine hundred permanent jobs were given, especially in group 'C' and 'D' posts. Ninety five per cent of jobs were given to people from Tamil Nadu, of which 50 per cent were to people from Tirunelveli and Kanyakumari districts.

Moreover as part of corporate social responsibility, two per cent of the profit of KNPP will be spent on setting up hospitals and Kendriya Vidyalayas, he said.