Bhavnagar villagers to protest against nuke plant

Residents of five villages in Bhavnagar district have launched a signature campaign to protest against the setting up of a nuclear plant by the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL). The project is expected to come up at Jasapara village in Bhavnagar district. Around 700 farmers have so far taken part in the campaign in the last four days. Jasapara deputy sarpanch Shaktisinh Gohil told The Indian Express: “The government talks of Panchayati Raj,but turns a deaf ear when it comes to big projects. We have met the Bhavnagar collector twice,but he doesn’t listen to us. We cannot part with our fertile land for any project.” He said the villagers of Jasapara,Mithi Virdi,Kadarpar,Mandva and Sosya have supported the agitation. An Ahmedabad-based company had recently conducted the soil tests at Jasapara. There are nearly 1,200-odd landholders in this area; and more than half of them have come forward to protest against the project in the signature campaign.