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Nuclear power crucial for meeting country’s energy needs: Sonia

Karthik Madhavan

— Photo: K. Ananthan

GREETING THE CROWD: Congress president Sonia Gandhi at a public meeting in Erode on Thursday. (From left) Union Minister E.V.K.S. Elangovan; Congress observer for Tamil Nadu Arun Kumar; TNCC president K.V. Thankgabalu and Union Minister G.K. Vasan are in the picture.

ERODE: Congress president Sonia Gandhi has said that nuclear power is crucial for meeting the country’s energy needs.

Participating in a meeting organised by the party in this textile town on Thursday evening, she said, “For meeting the energy requirements of a big country like ours with over 100 crore population, nuclear power is very crucial.”

She said, “More power means quicker development. With nuclear power we can provide sufficient power to our farmers, industries and homes.” She referred to nuclear plants that are under construction at Kudankulam in Tirunelveli district in the southern tip of the State.

Regarding the United Progressive Alliance’s schemes targeting Tamil Nadu, she said for a State that had a special place in the Nehru-Gandhi family since Nehru’s days, the UPA government had endeavoured to convert metre gauge lines into broad gauge lines. “This will result in faster commutation of the people of the State,” she said.

She pointed to the Union government sanctioning a Central Institute of Classical Tamil in Chennai to spread the richness and culture of Tamil in the country and abroad.

Referring to the scheme under the National Rural Employment Guarantee Act, Ms. Gandhi said, “The government has brought in the scheme to provide 100 days of employment for people in villages during the lean season. And, that has been extended to all districts in the country keeping in mind the interests of all concerned.”

Ms. Gandhi also spoke about how the government had worked to build the infrastructure in the country. “In the past four-and-half years of our rule, we had worked to fulfil the infrastructure needs of towns and villages. The works were particularly in providing water, sanitation, road and telecommunication facilities.”

She highlighted the UPA bringing in legislation to protect the rights of tribals and provide reservation for Other Backward Castes.

Ms. Gandhi said the Congress was the only party that cared for all sections of society and worked towards preserving communal harmony and unity. Asking the people to be wary of forces that tried to divide the country along religious lines, she urged Congress cadres to take the government’s achievements to all corners of the State.

Flight diverted

Earlier, the flight of Ms. Gandhi, who was scheduled to reach Erode via Coimbatore for addressing the public meeting, was diverted to Bangalore. A technical snag in the aircraft was said to be the reason for the change in the plan, airport sources said. Party sources attributed the problem to an overcast sky in Coimbatore. There was no official confirmation from airport sources. Ms. Gandhi was scheduled to land at the Coimbatore airport by a chartered aircraft by 3.25 p.m. and reach Erode by a helicopter. But around 3.40 p.m., the Coimbatore airport authorities were informed that the aircraft was landing at Bangalore. Around 5.25 p.m., Ms. Gandhi arrived at the Coimbatore airport by another chartered aircraft. She left for Erode by a helicopter at 5.42 p.m. and reached the place shortly before 6.00 p.m. after a delay of nearly two hours.

After a night halt in Chennai, Ms. Gandhi is scheduled to take part in a function in Salem on Friday along with Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

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