EDITORIALS

From 50 Years Ago

Vol XVI, No 11, march 14, 1964

WEEKLY NOTEs

Tarapur Delayed
An ominous reminder that the nuclear power programme is lagging behind schedule is contained in the revised estimates of expenditure in 1963-64 by the various Government departments presented to Parliament along with the Budget for the coming year. The Budget proviEconomic & Political Weekly EPW

sion for capital expenditure on nuclear power stations in 1963-64 was Rs 6.19 crores, but actually only some Rs 1.63 crores are expected to be spent. Insofar as the bulk of the expenditure was earmarked for the rst nuclear power station at Tarapur, the shortfall reects the lags in the execution of the Tarapur project. ... A major cause of the delay, it is well known, was the wrangle with the United States on the issue of control over the power station (The Economic Weekly, September 29, 1962). The agreement on this subject (euphemistically referred to as the agreement for cooperation in the development of atomic energy for peaceful purposes)

was nally signed in August 1963. This was followed by a second agreement, signed in December, for a loan of $ 80 million from the A I D to cover the foreign exchange cost of the project. ... The delay at Tarapur raises an interesting side-issue. The investigation by the U S JointCongressional Atomic Energy Committee into the very considerable differences between the per kW cost of construction of the Tarapur station and the one to be built by I G E in New Jersey has attracted some attention in this country. Compared to the estimated cost of $ 300 per kW at Tarapur, the cost of the New Jersey station is estimated at only $ 132 per kW. ...

march 22, 2014

vol xlix no 12