Bhubaneswar: The opposition Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday strongly opposed the reported proposal to establish a privately developed nuclear power plant in Odisha, alleging that the BJP governments at the Centre and in the state were compromising public safety and national interests by opening the nuclear energy sector to private players.
Addressing a press conference at Shankha Bhawan in Bhubaneswar, BJD general secretary and senior leader Lekhasri Samantsinghar claimed that a private company had proposed setting up a nuclear power plant of nearly 3,000 MW capacity in Odisha. She alleged that the state government was moving ahead with the proposal without adequately considering its potential implications for public health and safety.
Samantsinghar said nuclear power projects have historically been associated with catastrophic accidents, referring to the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945, the 1986 Chernobyl nuclear disaster and the 2011 Fukushima accident. She contended that the long-term consequences of such incidents continue to affect people and the environment.
The BJD leader alleged that the BJP-led Central Government had amended the legal framework in December 2025 to facilitate greater private sector participation in the nuclear energy sector, a move she described as unprecedented and potentially hazardous. She argued that nuclear energy infrastructure should remain under government control because of its strategic and security significance.
She further claimed that while India currently has around 8.8 GW of nuclear power capacity under government ownership, plans to expand the sector significantly while allowing private participation could pose serious risks. According to her, national security-related infrastructure should not be transferred to private entities.
Accusing the Odisha government of acting at the Centre’s behest, Samantsinghar alleged that the state administration was prepared to overlook the interests of Odisha’s people in pursuing the proposed project. She questioned the rationale behind establishing a nuclear power plant in the state and sought clarification from the Chief Minister and the state ministers on the proposal.
The BJD leader urged the state government to abandon any move to establish a nuclear power plant in Odisha. She warned that the party would launch statewide protests if the government proceeded with the project, asserting that it would fight to protect the interests of the people of Odisha.
The statements were made by the BJD in an official press briefing. There was no immediate response from the state or Central government to the allegations and claims made by the opposition party.
