PRESS RELEASE Date: 19.9.2011 Text of the D.O. letter addressed to Dr. Manmohan Singh, Hon’ble Prime Minister of India by Selvi J Jayalalithaa, Hon’ble Chief Minister, Tamil Nadu on 19.9.2011 is reproduced below:- “You are aware that the Nuclear Power Plant at Koodankulam is ready to be commissioned very soon. The last few days have been very agonizing for the people of Koodankulam as they are under great apprehension in the wake of the Fukushima disaster and other similar calamities reported in the press. It is only natural that the people living here fear for the safety of their families and for themselves. While many welfare measures have been taken by my Government for the benefit of fishermen living along the 1076 KM. long coast line of Tamil Nadu, an issue relating to the Government of India project is disturbing the normal life of the people in the Koodankulam area. The scope and magnitude of this issue is creating a fear psychosis among the people and villages surrounding Koodankulam. It is surprising to note that till date no responsible Minister or concerned higher authorities from the Government of India have visited the people or even attempted to assuage their misgivings. It is unfortunate to see that the Centre is abdicating its responsibilities. The Prime Minister should have sent a high level team to allay the fears and misgivings of the people in the Koodankulam area. It was naturally expected that at least the Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan, who hails from Tamil Nadu, would have made an attempt to visit these people. Instead, in an interview to the press, she said that the subject comes under the purview of the Atomic Energy Commission and her Ministry has nothing to do with it, thereby abdicating her duties as a Minister and absolving herself of any responsibility. Her remark that the Government officers would take care of the issue is callous in the extreme. Since the Atomic Energy Commission is directly under your control, on behalf of the people and villages surrounding Koodankulam, I request you to send the concerned competent authorities to hold discussions with the people of Koodankulam, address their fears and convince the people to their satisfaction. Since nobody from the Government of India has so far deigned to visit Koodankulam, I propose to send an all party delegation led by Thiru O. Panneerselvam, Hon’ble Minister for Finance, Government of Tamil Nadu, along with representatives of the people to call on you. I request you to kindly issue suitable instructions to the concerned authorities that further work on this project may be halted, until this issue is settled. I request you to kindly bestow your personal attention on this serious issue and also to indicate your convenience to meet the delegation.” ****** Issued by : Commissioner, Information-Public Relations, Chennai