Foreign funding charge a ploy: PMANE

PUDUCHERRY: People’s Movement Against Nuclear Energy (PMANE) convener S P Udayakumar said the Congress government was trying to divert the attention from the real issues by creating a division among the anti-Koodankulam nuclear plant agitators on religious lines and allegations of foreign funds.Addressing a press conference, Udayakumar said people knew very well that those who  compromised the country’s interests for kickbacks and signed agreements with  Russia, France and the United States became subservient to these countries.He said the Central government, if it really cared for the people, should listen to the agitating people’s concerns rather than raising false accusations of foreign funding.When asked about the growing need for power, including nuclear energy for development, Udayakumar said the country should focus on conventional energies, windmills, solar power stations and should not depend on the United States or other western countries for outdated nuclear power stations.Replying to a question on the infrastructure already built for the KKNPP project and the buildings, he said the present infrastructure could be converted into a gas-powered station or could be used for setting up a super hybrid energy park.PMANE has submitted a report by an expert group on the Koodankulam power project to the Central government. He said the report has details about the dangers of the Koodankulam site, which had sub-volcanic activity.Earlier, the PMANE convener said the Central government’s handling of the situation caused by cyclone Thane itself was an example of its lack of will to react to an event of such magnitude. Udayakumar said if a nuclear accident occurred, the government would not be ready to deal with it.