New Delhi: Amid protests over the
Jaitapur nuclear power plant in Maharashtra, Congress on Wednesday
hoped that the solution arrived at by the Centre and the state
government would take care both of environmental concerns and
the need for energy in the country.
"We believe a decision will be taken with a balance
between the need for energy security and environmental
concerns.
"Whatever decision the Maharashtra government and the
Environment ministry will take a decision in best interests of
both energy security and environmental security," party
spokesperson Jayanthi Natarajan told reporters here.
AICC general secretary in-charge for Maharashtra Mohan
Prakash also assured that interests of the locals will be
protected but added the plant suits the local, state and
national interests.
"That is why except one political party, all others
have supported it. It seems that those with vested interests
want to create an atmosphere of tension and confusion. The
government`s primary effort will be to bring peace there," he
said.
Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh had yesterday
accused Shiv Sena of "politicising" the Jaitapur Nuclear Power
Plant issue and frequently changing its stand on him on
environmental issues.
"Shiv Sena has a long track record of politicising
all issues. This is the same Shiv Sena, which had vowed to
throw the Enron Project into the Arabian Sea in 1993, if I
recall right. But when they came to power in 1995, they went
out of their way to give approval," the Minister said reacting
to a question on Shiv Sena`s allegations against him.
Taking a position with the local people in coastal
Ratnagiri district who are opposing the project, Shiv Sena had
termed as a "mockery" Ramesh`s statement that there would be
no rethink on Jaitapur nuclear power project.
PTI
