No re-think on Jaitpur n-plant, asserts Ramesh

Apparently unfazed by growing opposition to Jaitapur nuclear power plant or the adverse report of an official study by the Tata Institute of Social Sciences, environment minister Jairam Ramesh today refused to review the conditional environmental clearance given to the plant.

"As far as environment clearance is concerned, we have done all that is required and all different interest groups should not use environment as a shield behind which they start firing their guns at government," Ramesh told reporters in New Delhi.

He was responding when asked whether the environment ministry would have a rethink over the clearance given to the power plant being built by France in Maharashtra's ecologically sensitive Konkan region in view of demands in this regard.

Noting that "many people have different agenda" in Jaitapur, Ramesh asked those opposing the environmental clearance not to "make mockery" of the process.

"On 28 November, the environment clearance for Jaitapur nuclear power project was accorded. The 35 conditions associated with the clearance have also been made public," he said.

"There are political parties which have never agreed with the fact that our prime minister concluded the most successful civil nuclear agreement, of which Jaitapur is the first fruit," the minister said attacking the opponents of the project.