BENGALURU: The state cabinet is likely to give an in-principle approval for a proposed nuclear power plant in the state on Thursday, despite opposition from villagers living near places identified for the project.
The cabinet could give permission to the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to carry out a preliminary study of the places -- Koppal, Vijayapura, Raichur and others -- proposed for the project.
In this year’s Union Budget, there is a significant push for nuclear energy as part of India’s long-term energy transition strategy. The Union government has set a target of 100 gigawatts of nuclear power capacity by 2047 and wants nuclear to be a major source of power in the country, reducing the burden on fossil fuels.
The cabinet is also expected to discuss the report submitted by Justice John Michael D’Cunha on the stampede during the RCB’s victory celebration near Chinnaswamy Stadium that claimed 11 lives on June 4.
It is likely to discuss the government’s decision to withdraw the notification to acquire 1,777 acres of land for a defence and aerospace park near Devanahalli near Bengaluru. As a fallout of that the Andhra Pradesh government is trying to woo industrialists, which will likely come up for discussion too.