New Delhi, February 12 "Safety first, production next" is the formula followed by India's atomic energy sector, Jitendra Singh, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office, said on Thursday, as he addressed concerns about safety at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant.
During the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai said the Kudankulam project was delayed due to safety concerns, and questioned the way its power is being distributed.
Singh said that the distribution is determined through a formula, under which 50 per cent of the power is retained by the state, 35 per cent is given to neighbouring states, and 15 per cent is sent to the national grid.
The minister also said that many apprehensions about safety are due to "extraneous" and "political" reasons.
"Such apprehensions also arise sometimes because of extraneous reasons, political reasons... There has never been any such incident. The formula we follow is 'Safety First, Production Next," he said.
"There was some concern raised that we would be storing waste fuel from all other reactors at Kudankulam. This was not based on scientific rationale," he added.
