Madurai: Residents of villages surrounding the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant, along with holders of Land Loser Certificates (LCC), staged a protest on Monday demanding employment at the facility. They alleged that local candidates who had cleared recruitment examinations were being denied appointment orders.
Protest and Detentions
Many local youths and women had successfully passed examinations conducted for Category D posts at the nuclear power station, but appointment orders had not been issued. During the protest, police detained several individuals. Condemning the arrests, former assembly speaker M Appavu urged the government to intervene.
Historical Agreement Cited
Appavu stated, “An agreement was reached in 1999 between the then Tirunelveli district collector, me as the then MLA, and Atindra Sen, who was then director of the Indian nuclear power project. Under the agreement, people who gave land for the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant and residents of the surrounding area were to be provided employment in Category C and Category D posts based on their qualifications, without a selection process.”
He added that this arrangement remained in force until 2011. Thereafter, attempts by the plant administration to recruit employees through competitive examinations were challenged through legal proceedings.
Demands and Warning
Appavu alleged that many candidates possessing Land Loser Certificates had cleared the recent recruitment examination but were not being offered jobs. He demanded immediate appointment orders for successful local candidates and sought the release of those detained during the protest. He warned that the DMK would launch protests if the demands were not addressed.
