Russia does not ask new site for NPP instead of that in West Bengal

NEW DELHI, November 19 (Itar-Tass) - Russia did not ask India to
present another site for the construction of a nuclear power plant instead
of the site in Haripur, West Bengal, Director General of the Russian
State-Run Atomic Energy Corporation Rosatom Sergei Kiriyenko said on
Friday.
"The above-mentioned site [in Haripur] was officially presented us for
the purpose. We did not ask the Indian government to review that
decision," the Rosatom head said.
Earlier, India's media reported that Russia asked to allot it another
site for the nuclear power plant construction instead of that in Haripur
due to the West Bengal's population protests against the plant
construction, Kiriyenko reaffirmed.
"Those problems should be resolved at the level of the state
government. We will start the NPP construction operations, when the issues
are resolved," he said.
In addition, the Indian government is considering a possibility to
allot a third site for the construction of a nuclear power plant, the
Rosatom chief said.
"The decision about the third site was not made. India's specialists
are analysing various sites in different states all over the country," he
said.
India implements a large-scale program aimed at the development of the
national atomic energy. Under the plan, the country hopes to increase the
electricity generating capacity of its nuclear power plants by five times
to 20,000 megawatts in the period up to 2020.
In compliance with Russian-Indian agreements on atomic energy
cooperation, the two countries plan to build 20 power units in India,
including six ones at the Kudankulam NPP (the State Tamil Nadu).
From four to six power units are planned to be built at the site in
the State of West Bengal.
"We are waiting for the allotment of the third site," Kiriyenko said.
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