Tirunelveli (TN): Talks to break the logjam over the controversial Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project made no headway on Friday with protesters terming the discussions as 'a failure' after meeting the central government's expert committee.
The 15-member panel, on a three-day visit to the plant as part of efforts to allay people's fears over safety aspects, also met the six-member state committee constituted by the state government on the issue here.
"Our mandate is to talk to the forum (six-member state panel) provided by the Tamil Nadu government. We cannot go on talking to the people in Tirunelveli district," K Balu, a central committee member, told reporters after the meeting, also attended by representatives from the protesters.
He said the project has "much more than what is necessary to ensure safety as far as environment and people are concerned".
Balu said the committee sought to clarify questions raised by the protesters, who have been on a month-long fast in the second phase of their agitation, demanding scrapping of the Indo-Russian venture.
Muthunayagam, an expert in environmental science and oceanography and convener of the central committee said the group had even planned presentations on six issues such as safety, radiation, cancer threat, possibility of incidents like Fukushima here, waste disposal and trends of nuclear energy.
"Our friends (protesters) say we are not satisfied. We have not come here to listen to your lecture," he said.
Asked whether the meeting ended abruptly, Muthunayagam said, "They took our report and went away."
He said the committee would continue giving answers and clarifying issues and bring facts to the people. "We will see to it that some solution is reached."
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