Russian Federation assured nuclear fuel supply for reactors

New Delhi, Nov 29 (UNI) The Government told the Rajya Sabha today that the it has in principle approved the setting up of two 700 MWe PHWR units each at Rawatbhata in Rajasthan and Kakrapar in Gujarat during the 11th Five Year Plan.

Giving a reply during the question hour, Minister of State in the PMO Prithviraj Chavan said two light water reactors of 1000 MWe each are presently under construction, in cooperation with Russian Federation, at Kudankulam in Tamil Nadu.

''The life time fuel supply for these reactors is covered through a sovereign guarantee of the Russian Federation,''the Minister said and added that Kudankulam reactors are expected to commence operation in 2009.

On the issue of parking lots in Delhi, Minister for Urban Development Jaipal Reddy said that multi-level parking lots have been planned in several parts of the city to overcome the parking problem.

Acknowledging the enormity of the problem, Mr Reddy said ''there are four million vehicles in the city which more than the number of vehicles in Kolkata, Mumbai and Chennai put together.'' He said the new Parking Policy worked out by the Government has several imaginative features - standards have been upgraded, underground parking permitted in many areas, parking allowed in all regional zones giving incentives for building multilevel parking. It would be ensured that physically handicapped have separate parking facility and the government is also considering a similar facility for senior citizens.

The Minister said the construction of three multi-level parking facilities in the city would begin soon and the projects would be ready before the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

The House also witnessed a walkout by members of the Left parties on the issue of notification on the rights of the forest dwellers.

Speaking on the matter, Brinda Karat of the CPI(M) said how could the authorities evict the forest dwellers from their land without issuing a notification in this regard.

The Chair said the issue could be raised separately, but the members did not relent and eventually the left parties staged a walkout.

On a question pertaining to the environmental protest against the building of the Commonwealth Games village on the banks of Yamuna river, the Urban Development Minister said the DDA had taken a decision in the matter after clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest and the Delhi Urban Arts Commission.

''We are taking all steps to ensure that the environmental norms are not flouted. I see no substance in all the objections,'' he said.

In reply to a supplementary, the Minister said the entire process of building the Commonwealth Games village and other infrastructure for the games was on and there should no doubt on the preparedness of the Government in regard.

UNI