Madurai: The Centre on Saturday said it is
confident of commissioning the first unit of the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project to generate 1,000 MW of power in two
months as 99 per cent of its works are over.
Talking to reporters here, Union Minister of State in the
PMO V Narayanaswamy said, "We only need to load uranium in the
first unit for its functioning".
Regarding the second unit, he said only five per cent
works remain to be completed and almost all construction
activities were over.
He said the Centre was looking into Tamil Nadu`s demand
for allocation of entire power to be generated from the KNPP
to the state.
"It is under the serious consideration of Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh," he said, and hoped that a good decision will
be taken on the matter.
He said "as of now" Tamil Nadu government would get 965
MW of power from the two units.
Narayanaswamy said India voted in favour of a resolution
in UNHRC against Sri Lanka last month for alleged war crimes
as "we were unhappy" with the neighbouring country for not
implementing the rehabilitation programmes for the war-hit
Tamils.
On the issue of alleged attacks on Tamil fishermen by Sri
Lankan Navy, he said talks were going on between fishermen
associations of the two countries.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and External Affairs
Minister S M Krishna are closely monitoring the rehabilitation
programmes for Tamils in Sri Lanka, the minister said.
India had allocated money for railway projects, power
project and housing schemes in Sri Lanka for the benefit of
Tamils, he said.
PTI
