JNPP cruising to reality amid local protest

New Delhi/Mumbai:Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Ratan Kumar Sinha expressed that India may to sign a commercial pact with French power major Areva for constructing two nuclear power reactors at Jaitapur in Maharashtra during the visit of French President Francois Hollande scheduled next month. We have set our objective that before the French Presidents visit we should come to a good converging situation.I hope we are close to that, said Sinha. There have been plenty of discussions already, mainly on the techno-commercial offer and there seems to be reasonable hope of convergence, Sinha added. According to him, attempts have been made by the French side and meetings have already taken place between the top officials of the nuclear establishments of both the countries. The deal with Areva was one of the drivers for quick action in the relations with France, he emphasized. In December 2010, Areva has signed an agreement with India to build the countrys first two reactors of the new-generation EPR type at Jaitapur with an option for four more reactors. However, Indias ambitious Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) nuclear project at Jaitapur in Maharashtra has already delayed due to local protest and fragile politics but recently the union cabinet gave its green nod and since then it is taking various development at different levels. However, the incompetence of both the centre and state government to reach on a consensus with villagers is raising vagueness on the project. Recently Thousands of villagers from around the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant (JNPP) launched a jail bharo agitation demanding scrapping of the 9,900 MW plant. According to Amjad Borkar of the Machhimar Kruti Samiti in Sakhri Nate, the last weeks protest was the first big agitation held after the firing incident in Sakhri Nate village. The government was deliberately spreading the rumour that villagers have softened their stand and are now ready to accept the project, Borkar added. The left parties and Shiv Sena also participated in the march. They have built the compound wall by repressing our voices. We will not let contractors work on the site in future, cautioned Rajan Salvi, local Shiv Sena MLA.