In the diamond jubilee year of the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC), a 'hall of nuclear power' would be set up in the capital with an aim to dispel "misgivings" related to atomic energy as well as to spread awareness about it.
Minister of State in the Department of Atomic Energy Jitendra Singh said the 'hall of nuclear power' will come up at the National Science Centre in Pragati Maidan.
On apprehensions from certain quarters over Kudankulam and Jaitapur nuclear projects, Singh said that there were ample studies to prove that there were "no visible adverse outcome" of atomic energy. "In 60 years none of our scientists have suffered from cancer," he said in a lighter note.
Also Read
"There are concerns and we need to dispel those. That is why we are undertaking such steps towards creating awareness," the Minister said.
Responding to a question on former Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf's comment that the country did not build nukes "to fire on Shab-e-Barat", Singh said DAE would rather promote its programmes "for peaceful social and economic applications."
"The least that happens to us is to ever use for destruction. We would leave it to Ministry of Defence, and MEA (Ministry of External Affairs)," he said
Singh, who is also the Minister of State for Development of the Northern Eastern Region (I/C), Prime Minister's Office, Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and in charge of the Department of Space, was addressing a press conference listing the ministry's achievements in the past one year.
On Jaitapur plant, R K Sinha, Secretary in Department of Atomic Energy, said "the pre-engineering agreement has been signed between Areva and NPCIL. Now Areva would provide a document for the plant as per our requirements. The commercial viability aspects are being looked into."
He also said that the second unit of the Kudankulam project was "close to commissioning". Unit-I had commenced commercial operations on December 31 last year.
