Umang Singhar Alleges Rule Violations at Rewa Nuclear Plant, Demands Site Shift
Umang Singhar has accused the Madhya Pradesh government of violating population-related norms at the proposed Tata nuclear power plant in Rewa. He has demanded a change of location and raised allegations over land acquisition and Ken-Betwa compensation.
Singhar claimed that the project site does not comply with population limits specified under the corporation's rules for establishing nuclear power plants. According to him, the regulations stipulate that the population should not exceed 20,000 within a five-kilometre radius, 10,000 within a 10-kilometre radius and one lakh within a 30-kilometre radius of a nuclear power plant. He alleged that all three requirements had been disregarded in the case of the proposed project.
Speaking to journalists, Singhar said around 150 acres of land were being acquired for the power plant at Sarai Kala. Local residents are staging a Jal Satyagraha to protest against the project and the proposed land acquisition.
Singhar also alleged irregularities in the permissions obtained for borewell work being carried out for the project. He claimed that a fake permission from the local panchayat was being used, even though the concerned panchayat had not passed any resolution authorising the work.
Questioning the government's decision to select the site, Singhar asked whether there was no alternative location in the state where the project could be established without a populated area within a 20-kilometre radius.
He reiterated that the proposed plant violated the rules of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India and claimed that a large population lived within a 30-kilometre radius of the selected site.
Singhar further questioned the rationale behind establishing such projects in India, alleging that several countries around the world were shutting down nuclear projects. He claimed that projects of this kind were being pursued to benefit large industrial houses and demanded that the government reconsider the location of the proposed plant.
Apart from the nuclear power project, Singhar raised concerns over alleged irregularities in compensation for people affected by the Ken-Betwa Link Project.
He said he had raised the issue of compensation discrepancies in the state Assembly. According to Singhar, the Chief Minister had assured the House that the matter would be investigated within one month in response to his concerns. However, he alleged that no action had been taken in this regard so far.
Singhar further claimed that local residents were being pressured to open joint bank accounts to receive compensation payments. He alleged that this pressure was contributing to irregularities in the distribution of compensation amounts.
The protests at Sarai Kala and the allegations concerning the Ken-Betwa Link Project have brought land acquisition, compliance with nuclear plant regulations and compensation payments for project-affected residents into focus, with Singhar demanding action from the state government on both issues.

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