'Safety first, production next' formula for nuclear power: Jitendra Singh

'Safety first, production next' is the formula followed by India's atomic energy sector, Minister of State in the Prime Minister's Office Jitendra Singh on Thursday said, as he allayed concerns around safety at the Kudankulam nuclear power plant. During the Question Hour in the Rajya Sabha, AIADMK MP M Thambidurai said the Kudankulam project got delayed due to safety concerns around it, and questioned the way its power is being distributed. Singh said the share is determined through a formula, under which 50 per cent of the power is retained by the state, 35 per cent is given to the neighbouring states, and 15 per cent is sent to the national grid. The minister also said that many apprehensions regarding the safety are because of ''extraneous'' and ''political'' reasons. ''Such apprehensions also arise sometimes because of extraneous reasons, political reasons... There has never been any such mishap. The formula we follow is 'Safety First, Production Next,'' he said. ''There was some issue raised that we will be storing waste fuel from all other reactors at Kudankulam. This was not based on scientific rationale... '' he added.