Anti-nuke leaders want status paper

Emerging from the hour-long first round of talks held at the Collectorate here between the 15-member experts committee set up by the centre and six-member state panel, two members of the movement described the talks as satisfactory. The movement also presented a memorandum containing 50 questions and seeking various documents relating to the site selection and evaluation report and environmental safety analysis, M Pushparayan and Jesuraj told reporters.

They said talks could not be started without any document and demanded that they be given the reports besides replies to their questionnaire. They demanded a white paper saying officials were creating a scare among the people by stating that continued halt of the work would affect the plant while former president A P J Abdul Kalam after his visit to KNPP vouched for its safety.

Contradictory opinions were being expressed by the experts about the safety of the plant. "It is the Government`s duty to clarify all this... Our immediate request is that some sort of fear is in the minds of the people and it should be cleared," Pushparayan said.