KKNPP to be operational in a couple of weeks: PM

MOSCOW: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday said India will make operational the Russian-built Koodankulam power plant in Tamil Nadu "in a couple of weeks", much ahead of the March 2012 deadline for the 1,000 MW-capacity unit I to begin commercial operations.Manmohan Singh made the announcement at a joint press conference with Russian President Dmitry Medvedev here soon after their 12th summit even as Indian authorities are still struggling to convince local villagers that the nuclear plant is safe."I am confident that in a couple of weeks we should be able to go ahead in operationalising Koodankulam-I and, thereafter, in a period of six months, the Koodankulam-II," he said when asked about a deadline to operationalise the plant.The prime minister also said that India and Russia had concluded negotiation on the terms and conditions for the Koodankulam units III and IV and they looked forward to moving ahead in their bilateral nuclear energy road map they signed in 2010.Alluding to the villagers' protests against the nuclear plant, he said there were "temporary problems" in view of "some agitations" due to their concerns over the safety of the plant and its impact on their livelihood."We are confident we will be able to persuade some persons that their concerns are adequately taken care of and that our nuclear plants are safe and sound and there is nothing to worry about," he said. "That's a commitment both India and Russia will honour."