After the Centre's announcement that Maharashtra will get a French-built nuclear power plant, West Bengal could be the next in line for this central gift. But there is a problem: The plant is likely to be American-built. So, the Left-ruled government in the state is thinking if it wants to give land for a reactor built by the Americans.
Prakash Karat, general secretary of the CPI (M), told Business Standard: "That question (of allotting a nuclear power plant) will come much later. What I can tell you is that after the elections, this government will not remain in power to make all these plans."
Be that as it may, now that the Indo-US civil nuclear agreement has been signed, sealed and delivered, the Department of Atomic Energy (under Prime Minister Manmohan Singh) is looking for sites where civilian nuclear energy can be generated.
According to sources in the Prime Minister's Office, a nuclear plant with the help of France will be set up at Jaitapur, Maharashtra. The state has already set aside land for the project. Andhra Pradesh was also approached, but Chief Minister YS Rajasekhar Reddy said he would rather have a special economic zone in his state. In this situation, the Centre wants to set up a nuclear power station in West Bengal.
In the late 1980s, the then chief minister, Jyoti Basu, had sought the setting up of a nuclear power plant in his state. He had even informed the Centre that the plant could be set up on a plot of land in Haripur in Midnapur district. According to top sources, the UPA government has revived this proposal.
