The world’s largest nuclear power plant being built at Jaitapur has claimed its first victim: a 1,000-acre education hub that was to come up in Nate village just 15 km away.

Though the central government’s land acquisition and rehabilitation Bill is yet to be passed by Parliament, the Maharashtra government has proposed to incorporate a provision relating to annuity payment to families affected by the Jaitapur nuclear power project in the state.

As Parliament debates this month it will, hopefully, move beyond issues of corruption in high places to important economic legislation.

The Centre plans to amend the Atomic Energy Act to acquire land in and around the world’s biggest nuclear plant in the works at Jaitapur, where protests have stalled the land acquisition process.

While giving state governments the flexibility to acquire land either in full or in part for private companies for public purpose, the draft National Land Acquisition and Rehabilitation and Resettl

Former minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh is being blamed for the slide in India

The annual meeting of NGOs, under the banner of Konkan Vinashkari Prakalp Virodhi Samiti (KVPVS) in Ratnagiri, was allegedly disrupted on Sunday by Congress goons.

The Samiti, which is vehemently opposing the proposed Jaitapur Nuclear Power Project (JNPP), has claimed that the goons are close associates of industries minister Narayan Rane.

The National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) has found loopholes in the relief and rehabilitation package offered to villagers affected by the Tarapur atomic power station but said that the government would soon rectify the problem.

States need to rethink their land acquisition policies
One of the most prickly nettles for governments in India today is land acqusition for industry. The Centre is drafting a new Bill on the issue, but land is a state subject, and different states have different land acquisition policies. The Bill can at best provide an enabling framework.

Cos Include Areva, Alstom, Toshiba, General Electric and Siemens
State-run Bharat Heavy Electricals (Bhel) is in talks with Areva, Alstom, Toshiba, General Electric and Siemens to source technology for manufacturing higher rating nuclear sets of 1,000 mw and above.
Bhel chairman and managing director BP Rao said the move was strategic as the country was heading towards high-capacity nuclear powe