If Tamilnadu wants power, commission KNPP as soon as possible: Russian envoy

CHENNAI: A top Russian envoy on Wednesday claimed some of the antinuclear protestors agitating against commissioning of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP) might have “vested interests with foul designs.” “People may object because they don’t know... (about safety aspects)... Some of them have vested interests...objecting because they have some foul design. There are such people,” Russian Ambassador to India Alexander M Kadakin told reporters here on the sidelines of a function here. He opined that not everybody around India or in the country wished it well. “Russia wishes it well. We want to help you kill the power defi cit.” Kakadin pointed out that there has been a two-month delay in commissioning KNPP even after Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s statement at Moscow last November that the fi rst unit would be operationalised soon. “So far two months have passed. Well it does not depend on us.” Any further delays, he said, would only lead to cost overruns. “That’s why if you don’t want to spend more money, it has to be commissioned right away.” Asked if Russia would pressure the Tamil Nadu government to break the logjam, he said “We are in touch with the Central government, which has sanctioned funds for the joint venture. “So if Tamil Nadu wants power, they should commission it as soon as possible and not drag it on indefi nitely.” Vouching for full power supply from the plant, he pointed out that Tamil Nadu faces acute power shortage of about one gigawatt. “And that is exactly the amount the fi rst unit can produce. So it has to be commissioned as soon as possible.” Russian nuclear scientists involved in KNNP would not wait indefi nitely, he said, adding that they are needed in other places. “We have many orders for nuclear projects from other countries. We have many orders for nuclear stations inside Russia,” he said.