WILL THE STATE GET A NUCLEAR REACTOR?

Jamshedpur, June 20: Why should Bihar be allowed to have a nuclear plant, but not Jharkhand?

While the Union energy ministry has given the green signal to the parent state, and Bengal chief minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee is talking of one, no decision has yet been taken by New Delhi on Jharkhand.

The state has been demanding a nuclear plant on the ground that it had uranium reserves and should logically be allowed to have nuclear plants.

While the Centre and the Atomic Energy Commission have maintained a studied silence on the issue, informally officials claim that permission will never be granted to Jharkhand because of an unwritten rule.

There is an understanding, they claim, that nuclear reactors will not be allowed within a 1,000 km of coal deposits. Since Jharkhand has abundant reserves of coal, it should ideally go for coal-based thermal power and not nuclear energy, they argue. But then both Bihar and Bengal have easy access to coal, too. And both the states are certainly within 1,000 km of coal deposits.

Chief minister Arjun Munda, therefore, chose today to see a silver lining. If a nuclear power plant does come up in Bengal, he said, that would augur well for Jharkhand because that means the Centre will also agree to a similar project in the state.

?It shows that the Union government is not averse to allowing such proposals from states where coal is found. We are optimistic that a nuclear power reactor in Jharkhand will also get the nod,? he said.

He had raised the issue on June 13, Munda claimed, during a one-to-one meeting with the Prime Minister. Manmohan Singh, he recalled, appeared convinced by his argument that Jharkhand had a natural claim to the cheaper and cleaner fuel to be provided by nuclear reactors.

Jharkhand had proposed to establish a nuclear reactor about two years ago after seeking clearance from the Centre. The state government had formed a nodal team, headed by then East Singhbhum deputy commissioner S.K. Burnwal to coordinate with Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCI) that oversees setting up of such plants.

The nodal team had shortlisted three sites in Ghatsila subdivision of East Singhbhum and forwarded the details to the NPCI. But after that, there has been no response from the Centre.

The Prime Minister, claimed Munda, was, however, keen that nuclear reactors be set up in different parts of the country and had assured him that the demand would be considered.

At present, there are 22 N-power reactors ? 15 in operation and seven under construction ? in various parts of the country. Sources at the Jadugoda-based Uranium Corporation of India said all these plants are located at places where coal is not found.

Munda solicited support from other MPs from the state to sustain pressure on the Centre. ?They too have a responsibility to raise the issue,? he said, adding that he planned to convene a meeting of the MPs.