Jaitapur N-plant: Swamy asks Govt to consider alternative site

New Delhi: With Shiv Sena opposing establishment of the 9,900 MW Jaitapur Nuclear Power Plant in Konkan region, BJP leader Subramanian Swamy today appealed to the Centre to consider an alternative site for the project and suggested that the reactor could be set up in Gujarat.

“I urge the government to consider an alternative site in a state such as Gujarat where the necessary infrastructure for this proposed giant reactor of nearly 10,000 MW of power capacity can be managed,” Swamy said in a statement.

“Konkan being a hilly region may not be on seismic factors appropriate for the reactor of such a large capacity,” Swamy said, “I urge the Union Government to seek the concurrence of the Gujarat Government to accommodate this nuclear reactor.”

The Jaitapur project in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, where French company Areva is to set up six nuclear reactors with total power generation capacity of about 9,900 MW, is stuck for long following protests and differences over the cost of electricity to be generated.

The project has been embroiled in controversies after local farmers, who will be losing their farm land, as also the fishermen community for the loss of their livelihood, NGOs and ruling BJP's ally Shiv Sena have been opposing the project, citing safety issues and rehabilitation of the project affected people (PAPs).  

According to Shiv Sena, the energy produced from the project will be beneficial for the whole country, but Maharashtra would be at the maximum risk.

The project and the Rafale fighter jet deal were among the 17 pacts signed between the two countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi's recent visit to France.

Swamy had on April 11 threatened to move court against the deal to buy Rafale jets from France, claiming there were shortcomings in the fighter aircraft.