Expert group report on Kudankulam satisfactory

The Central expert group's report on the Kudankulam nuclear power plant issue has answered all questions raised by protestors and was satisfactory, a senior member of the Tamil Nadu government panel, appointed to look into concerns of the locals, said on Sunday.

"We have reviewed all concerns raised by the protestors in our report. We also analysed the central expert group committee's report, which has answered all 44 questions raised by the protestors. We found the report satisfactory," former Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) chairman M R Srinivasan, one of the members of the state panel said.

However, he declined to divulge more details on the report submitted by his panel recently to Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.

The 15-member expert group, set up by the Centre, had stated categorically on January 31 that it had "conclusively addressed" all safety related issues to allay fears in the minds of locals around the plant in coastal Kudankulam.

"In conclusion, the EG (Expert Group) would like to state that based on its extensive examination of various issues, there should be no cause for concern about the safety of KKNPP," convenor A E Muthunayagam had said.

Giving thumbs up to the project, the EG report had said "it meets all current safety requirements and is safe for operation" and slammed the anti-nuclear protesters for 'creating fear' in the minds of the public and linking it to the Fukushima nuclear disaster in Japan last year.

The central expert groups findings come as a boost to the project at a time when Tamil Nadu is reeling under a severe power shortage.

The project, slated to be commissioned in December 2011, has been plagued by delay due to the protests over safety concerns of the Indo-Russian joint venture.