Union Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday assured the Rajya Sabha that safety remains the foremost priority in India’s atomic energy programme, dismissing concerns surrounding the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant.
Replying to questions during Question Hour, Singh said the nuclear sector operates strictly on the principle of “Safety First, Production Next.” He was responding to AIADMK MP M. Thambidurai, who flagged delays in the Kudankulam project due to safety-related apprehensions and raised queries about the distribution of electricity generated from the plant.
The minister clarified that power sharing is governed by a fixed formula under which 50 percent of the electricity is allocated to the host state, 35 percent to neighbouring states, and 15 percent to the national grid.
Addressing safety concerns, Singh said several apprehensions stem from “extraneous and political reasons” rather than technical or scientific facts. He emphasized that no mishap has occurred at the Kudankulam facility so far.
He also rejected claims that spent nuclear fuel from other reactors would be stored at Kudankulam, stating that such assertions are not based on scientific rationale.
