Andhra Pradesh: Centre Gives Nod To Set Up Nuclear Power Station In Kovvada With US Assistance

Across the country, 18 pressurized heavy water reactors are currently generating nuclear power, while another six are currently under construction.

Hyderabad: Minister of State in Atomic Energy Department Jitendra Singh said in the Rajya Sabha that it was proposed to set up a nuclear power plant at Kovvada in Srikakulam district with US assistance. The Minister replied in writing to a question posed by YSRCP MP Vijayasai Reddy.

He said a 1,208 MW nuclear power plant with a total capacity of six reactors would be set up. However, it was clarified that domestically made pressurized heavy water reactors (PHWRs) would not be installed at the proposed Kovvada nuclear power plant. 

Across the country, 18 pressurized heavy water reactors are currently generating nuclear power, while another six are currently under construction. In addition, financial and administrative sanction has been given for the construction of 10 more Pressurized Heavy Water Reactors. The minister explained that all these reactors would generate 7,000 MW of nuclear power.

Minister for Law and Justice Kiran Riju said the central government was implementing a scheme to develop infrastructure in the judiciary. Responding to a question by Vijayasai Reddy, the Minister said that the primary responsibility for providing and developing infrastructure in the judiciary lies with the respective state governments. He, however, said that the central government has launched a scheme to provide financial assistance to the state governments in this process. 

Under the scheme, the Center will pay 60 per cent of the cost of infrastructure development in the judiciary. The rest is to bear by the respective state governments. The northeastern states of Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh have to pay only 10 per cent of the cost. The minister said the central government would bear the entire cost in the Union Territories.

He said the central government has extended the scheme for another five years from April 2021. The central government has allocated Rs 930 crore under the scheme, of which Rs 5,307 crore has been allocated. Under the scheme, court buildings, judges' quarters, toilets in court buildings, digital computer rooms, and lawyer's halls in the district and subordinate courts will be constructed. 

Since the scheme's inception in 1993-94, the Central Government has released Rs 8,758 crore to various states. Andhra Pradesh's share is Rs 199 crore, the minister said.

(With inputs from ABP Desam — It is a Telugu platform of ABP News. For more news, commentary and latest happenings from two Telugu states, follow https://telugu.abplive.com//amp)