After the intense anti-Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project protests in 2011, the entrance of this upcoming nuclear power park witnessed massive protest on Monday as the locals staged dharna demanding preference for them in the recruitment of workers for KKNPP.

After selecting the locals and the land losers, who had given their land, for the KKNPP for the lower level ‘C’ and ‘D’ category posts till 2011, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) abandoned it after 2011 even though it had earlier agreed to appoint the candidates from Radhapuram taluk and the land losers for these posts.

When the job seekers from Radhapuram taluk threatened to stage indefinite dharna and hunger strike in front of the KKNPP, the administration, which had experienced intense Idinthakarai-based anti-nuke protests, toned down its stance. The KKNPP organised free training sessions for equipping the local applicants with the skills required for the ‘C’ and ‘D’ category posts. And, this practice too vanished in due course and the candidates from other States were being appointed in these posts, the aspirants from Radhapuram taluk said.

Agitated over this, the children of the land losers and the local applicants, who gathered in front of the KKNPP entrance on Monday morning, staged dharna, who were arrested by the police and removed from the spot. They were released after sometime.

Former Radhapuram MLA and Speaker of Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly M. Appavu has warned that the KKNPP administration should desist from coercing the job seekers through arrests. He said children of those who gave their agricultural lands for the KKNPP and the locals should be given preference in the recruitment of skilled and unskilled employees for KKNPP.

In a letter to Chief Secretary of Tamil Nadu on Monday, Mr. Appavu said the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited, the project proponent, had agreed in 1999 through a tripartite agreement involving him as the MLA, the district administration and the NPCIL to appoint qualified locals without tests in the ‘C’ and ‘D’ category posts of the KKNPP.

After honouring this agreement till 2011, the NPCIL abandoned it after the AIADMK came to power in 2011 and started conducting written and other tests for recruiting ‘C’ and ‘D’ category employees.

“Even though a few hundred land losers have cleared the written exam for these posts as mandated by the NPCIL, they had been denied jobs while applicants from other States have been selected for these posts. Besides refusing to honour the 1999 agreement and recruit the locals, the KKNPP administration has dared to arrest the protestors who demand the honouring of this agreement. The KKNPP, instead of threatening these job seekers by arresting them, should recruit the qualified youth and the land losers as agreed upon. If not, the DMK will lead a massive protest against the KKNPP administration,” Mr. Appavu warned.