Press Trust of India

For a cause: Members of All India Students Association stage a protest at Jantar
Mantar in New Delhi against French Government's protection of a French diplomat accused of raping his three-year-old daughter, and against the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. — Photo: V. Sudershan

Business Line For a cause: Members of All India Students Association stage a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi against French Government‘s protection of a French diplomat accused of raping his three-year-old daughter, and against the proposed construction of a nuclear power plant at Jaitapur in Maharashtra. — Photo: V. Sudershan
Mumbai, Feb. 14:

Spurning Maharashtra Government’s offer of enhanced compensation for project-affected persons from Jaitapur and neighbouring villages, the local organisation spearheading the opposition to the proposed 9,900-MW nuclear power plant said it wanted the whole project to be scrapped.

“Our struggle is for cancellation of the nuclear plant project…. We do not want increased monetary package,” said Prakash Waghdhare, President of ‘Madban, Jaitapur, Mithgavane, Panchkroshi Sangharsh Samiti’.

In the face of stiff local opposition, the Maharashtra Government recently decided to give compensation of Rs 22.5 lakh a hectare to the project-affected people. However, Waghdhare said the quantum of compensation was not the issue.

“Farmers from Jaitapur and neighbouring villages do not want the money. They don’t want the project there. Entire Konkan is opposed to the project,” he said.

A rally to protest the project would be organised next month, he said.

Alleging that Government was misleading people by offering enhanced package, Satyajit Chavan of ‘Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti’ said a section of the media was publishing reports in favour of the Government.

“We never held a press conference demanding increase in financial package,” he added. “We want to save Konkan.”