Union Minister of State for Prime Minister’s Office V Narayanasamy on Sunday denied reports that appeared in a section of the media suggesting that Unit-I of the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) could be commissioned during Russian President Vladimir Putin’s visit next month. “I have no knowledge about Putin’s visit for the inauguration of the plant,” he told reporters here.
Narayanasamy also denied reports that he had urged Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to give the entire 1,000 MW output from KKNPP’s Unit-I to Tamil Nadu. He said the power produced would be shared as per an agreement between Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karnataka and Kerala.
He expressed the hope that Unit-I would be commissioned by December 15.
After loading of nuclear fuel in October, experts from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IEAC) and the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (IERB) had inspected Unit-I and its trial run was is progress, he said.
Besides, 95 per cent of work on KKNPP’s Unit-II has been completed and it is expected to be operational in three to four months, he added.