Stones hurled at Tarapur Atomic Power Station buses

MUMBAI: Four Tarapur Atomic Power Station (TAPS) buses transporting around 170 employees to office on Monday were targeted by Project Affected Persons (POPs) who hurled stones and protested against jobs to outsiders.
On Sunday, the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), that operates nuke power facilities in the country, had conducted an all India written test for 79 posts of tracemen, six posts of scientific assistants and 27 posts for apprenticeship for class 12 pass students at TAPS.
Vijay Tamore, member of the Prakalp Pidhit Sanghatana, said that around 500 youths from Akkarpatti and Popharan, the two villages affected due to TAPS had appeared for the test but only one candidate, Kritishil Tamore was declared passed in the first round.
Tamore alleged that the test was in English and Hindi. He said that in exam centres across the country, the test is also conducted in the local language.
Tamore said that despite making a demand to conduct the test in Marathi, it is not done in Maharashtra.
He alleged that the test was conducted in Mumbai (Kandivli and Malad) making it difficult for students from Tarapur to reach the centre.
The buses were pelted with stones near the plant. The protestors allowed the staff to alight from the buses that stayed on the road till around 6 pm. The Boisar police reached the spot and calmed down the protestors.
The four nuke plants in Tarapur, with around 1,499 MW capacity, have come up on land belonging to Akkarpatti and Popharan villages.
Tamore alleged that few POPs were given contractual jobs in the plants. Most of the contract workers are from Mumbai and Raigad, he alleged.
Fatehsinh Patil, deputy superintendent of police (DySP) Boisar, said that the situation was brought under control and a case would be filed against the protestors.
Meanwhile, the POPs along with MP Rajendra Gavit are likely to meet chief minister Devendra Fadnavis to discuss the issue on Tuesday.