Bowing to pressure from environmental groups and Opposition parties, the Congress government in Andhra Pradesh has decided to go slow on the controversial 2,000 MW nuclear power plant proposed at Kovvada in Srikakulam district. Chief Minister N Kiran Kumar Reddy has made it clear that his government would consider giving its nod for the mega plant only after satisfying itself about the safety of the people in the area and its environmental impact. The Chief Minister took the categorical stand at a recent meeting here with a high-level delegation of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India (NPCI) led by its Chairman and Managing Director Dr SK Jain. He also sought a comprehensive report on the relief and rehabilitation package to the affected people and the employment generation potential. In the backdrop of heightened fears over safety following Japanese nuclear crisis, the state government has decided to elicit the opinion of locals and environmental experts in a congenial atmosphere before giving the go-ahead. The Chief Minister made it clear that while industrial development was definitely a priority for the state, it would be permitted only after ensuring the absolute safety of the people, ensuring that all environmental issues are addressed and the affected people are completely rehabilitated. He also instructed the officials concerned to appoint coordinating officers both from the state government and NCPI with regard to the Kovvada project. The Kovvada plant, proposed by Nuclear Power Corporation Limited, has raised the hackles of local farmers, opposition parties and environmentalists who argue that it would cause pollution and large-scale displacement. Kovvada was among the first set of four sites identified by the government last year for setting up nuclear plants as part of the civil nuclear agreement with United States. The ambitious Rs 60,000 crore plant involves construction of six nuclear reactors with the capacity of each unit varying from 1000 MW to 1250 MW. Being developed with US technical know-how, the project requires a whopping 9,000 acres of land. Meanwhile, noted environmentalist Prof T Sivaji Rao urged the Union Environment Ministry to cancel the clearances given to the proposed major nuclear power plants at Jaitapur in Maharashthra, Bhavnagar in Gujarat and Kovvada.