Kudankulam: Centre confident of commissioning 1st unit soon

Madurai, April 7: The Centre on Saturday said it is confident of commissioning the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project to generate 1,000 MW of power in two months as 99% of its works are over. Talking to reporters in Madurai, Union minister of state in the PMO V Narayanasamy said, "We only need to load uranium in the first unit for its functioning".

Regarding the second unit, he said only 5% works remain to be completed and almost all construction activities were over.

He said the Centre was looking into Tamil Nadu's demand for allocation of entire power to be generated from the KNPP to the state.

"It is under the serious consideration of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh," he said, and hoped that a good decision will be taken on the matter.

He said "as of now" Tamil Nadu government would get 965 MW of power from the two units.

Narayanaswamy said India voted in favour of a resolution in UNHRC against Sri Lanka last month for alleged war crimes as "we were unhappy" with the neighbouring country for not implementing the rehabilitation programmes for the war-hit Tamils.

On the issue of alleged attacks on Tamil fishermen by Sri Lankan Navy, he said talks were going on between fishermen associations of the two countries.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and external affairs minister SM Krishna are closely monitoring the rehabilitation programmes for Tamils in Sri Lanka, the minister said.

India had allocated money for railway projects, power project and housing schemes in Sri Lanka for the benefit of Tamils, he said.

PTI