PM to dedicate 2 nuclear reactors to nation

Mumbai, Aug 31: Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh will dedicate two units of Tarapur Atomic Power Project (TAPP) to the nation here today.

The Units III and IV of 540 Mwe of India's largest nuclear power plant has been built in the shortest time.

TAPP comprises Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) which use natural uranium fuel and heavy water both as moderator and coolant.

It has been designed and built by Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), a public sector undertaking under the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE).

The TAPP units have been constructed in less than five years with the combination of a dedicated team, modern methods of design and construction, adoption of higher levels of mechanisation and automation, improved planning and monitoring and pro-active management.

The Units III and IV are the largest PHWRs to be built indigenously as other 12 reactors of the kind have only a capacity of 220 MWe each. The capacity of these units is intended to be increased to 700 MWe.

Unit I and II, of 160 MWe, were built by the General Electronics of the US in 1969.

The atomic plants are being commissioned at a time when the Left parties have demanded a freeze on Indo-US civil nuclear deal, which is aimed at boosting the country's atomic power generation.

Dr. Singh, accompanied by Agriculture Minister Sharad Pawar, will also review the Rs 3750 crore relief package for 11 districts of Vidarbha, which was announced in July 2006.

Despite the announcement of relief package, cotton farmers who had received a cheque from the Prime Minister's fund never saw the money as the cheque bounced due to insufficient funds.

The number of suicides in the six districts has crossed 600 in the first eight months of this year.

There have been 743 suicides since the Prime Minister announced the special relief package in July 2006.

The Prime Minister had visited Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka to review the agro development in those states in this regard earlier.

Besides, Dr. Singh will also examine several the development schemes, including storm water drain project, Bandra-Worli sea link, the Mumbai Metro and the Trans-Harbor Link.

Before leaving for Delhi, Dr. Singh will also address the new batch of graduates of the Training School of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) at Trombay near Mumbai.

ANI>