Jaitapur snippets

The Rs 10 lakh per acre compensation offered for the 10,000 MW Jaitapur nuclear power project is an exception rather than the rule, said Ajit Pawar, deputy chief minister who also holds the energy portfolio. Pawar said the government announced the Rs 10 lakh compensation to project affected persons as it was a central government sponsored project. “The state cannot afford to pay such an amount as compensation for every project,” he said. The energy minister said the project was a catalyst to attract other power projects to the state. Despite the huge compensation offered, local opposition to the project continues. Nearly 2,355 villages are affected by the project. Chief minister Prithviraj Chavan is likely to visit Jaitapur on February 26. The state government has organized a lecture by Anil Kakodkar, former chairman, Atomic Energy Commission to garner support for the project.