'Remove pro-nuclear M R Srinivasan from panel': PMANE

PTI | February 10, 2012



 The anti-nuclear forum spearheading the stir against Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project today demanded removal of former Atomic Energy Commission chief M R Srinivasan from the state expert panel to allay people's safety concerns, calling him "pro-nuclear".

People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy said it welcomed constitution of the four-member state panel but pointed out that Srinivasan was a "well-known pro-nuclear person."

Srinivasan was the former Chairman and a current member of India's Atomic Energy Commission. He was also a member of the site selection committee in the 1980s for the KNPP and has been writing and speaking in favor of nuclear power and the Koodankulam project itself, S P Udayakumar, leading the anti-nuclear movement, said in a statement.

He said people had expected that the state expert team would be neutral and independent  "but Dr Srinivasan is neither.So it is hard for the PMANE to accept Dr Srinivasan."

It asked the Chief Minister to replace Srinivasan with another expert and expand the team with experts in Geology, Oceanography and Hydrology.

PMANE also requested Jayalalithaa to make the State Expert Team meet its own experts, consider their findings and engage in a "genuine dialogue" and listen to the fears and concerns of the people and arrive at a conclusion in a democratic manner on the basis of majority opinion.

He alleged that having failed to allay the fears of the people, the Centre was sending spies into the areas around Koodankulam "to divide our communities, create fear and panic among the people and instigate violence.."

Announcing setting up of a panel in the assembly last week, Jayalalithaa had said it would submit its report soon and further action on the issue would be based on its findings.

The Indo-Russian project in Tirunelveli district has run into rough weather following continued protests from locals, spearheaded by PMANE, citing safety reasons.

A Centre-appointed Expert Committee had held several rounds of talks with protesters but failed to make any headway in breaking the deadlock.


Comments

 

Other News

AI: Code, Control, Conquer

India today stands at a critical juncture in the area of artificial intelligence. While the country is among the fastest adopters of AI in the world, it remains heavily reliant on technologies developed elsewhere. This paradox, experts warn, cannot persist if India seeks technological sovereignty.

RBI pauses to assess inflation risks, policy transmission

The Reserve Bank of India (RBI) has begun the new fiscal year with a calibrated pause, keeping the repo rate unchanged at 5.25 per cent in its April Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting. The decision, taken unanimously, reflects a shift from aggressive policy action to cautious observation after a signi

New pathways for tourism growth

Traditionally, India’s tourism policy has been based on three main components: the number of visitors, building tourist attractions and providing facilities for tourists. Due to the increase in climate-related issues and environmental destruction that occurred over previous years, policymakers have b

Is the US a superpower anymore?

On April 8, hours after warning that “a whole civilisation will die tonight,” US president Donald Trump, exhibiting his unique style of retreating from high-voltage brinkmanship, announced that he agreed to a two-week ceasefire with Iran. The weekend talks in Islamabad have failed and the futur

Machines communicate, humans connect

There is a moment every event professional knows—the kind that arrives without warning, usually an hour before the curtain rises. Months of meticulous planning are in place. And then comes the call: “We’ll also need a projector. For the slides.”   No email

Why India is entering a ‘stagflation lite’ phase

India’s macroeconomic narrative is quietly shifting—from a rare “Goldilocks” equilibrium of stable growth and contained inflation to a more fragile phase where external shocks are beginning to dominate domestic policy outcomes. The numbers still look reassuring at first glance: GDP


Archives

Current Issue

Opinion

Facebook Twitter Google Plus Linkedin Subscribe Newsletter

Twitter