KKNPP: No more talks, says Central panel

TIRUNELVELI: The Central Experts Committee  set up to allay the fears of the people protesting against the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP), decided not to hold any more talks with the State panel as the latter’s members boycotted the fourth round of discussions on Monday following an attack on them by a group of pro-Koodankulam activists at the Collector’s office.On a day of high drama, a group of protestors, who are sitting on a agitation at Idinthakari coastal village, close to the power plant since August, clashed with members of Hindu Munnani (HM). The group led by HM state vice-president V P Jayakumar, had tried to attack the four members of the State panel as they arrived at the Collector’s office, damaging the vehicle they travelled in. A group of protestors who were in another car clashed with the HM members, 14 of whom were later arrested.The convenor of the 15-member Central committee, A E Muthunayagam, said that the experts had prepared a 70-page supplementary report saying that the KKNPP met all current safety requirements and is safe for operations. After the agitation, spearheaded by People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) began, both the state and central panels met thrice but failed to come to an agreement. Now the Central committee is calling it quits.Meanwhile, PMANE convenor, S P Udayakumar, who was with the state-panel members, said ‘Congress and Hindu Munnani members attacked us’, The attack was an attempt on their lives, aimed at putting an end to the agitation, he said, adding that the protest will continue till the plant was shut down. He said three women were injured in the attack.