Bhubaneswar- A proposal has been made by a private company to establish a nuclear power plant in Odisha. Representatives of the company met Deputy Chief Minister Shri Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and held discussions regarding the proposal. While there is a plan to establish a nuclear power plant in the State, the BJP government has also planned to privatise the nuclear energy sector. Opposing this move, the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has strongly criticised the State Government.
Addressing a press conference at Sankha Bhawan today, BJD Senior General Secretary Dr. Lekhashree Samantsinghar stated that the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Odisha would pose a serious threat to the health and safety of the people of the State. She alleged that the double-engine government, driven by its inclination towards private companies, has completely ignored the safety and security of the people of Odisha.
She stated that the private company has proposed to establish a 3,000 MW nuclear power plant in Odisha. She further said that whenever the subject of nuclear or atomic energy arises, it naturally creates fear in people's minds. In 1945, the nuclear bombings reduced the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki to ruins. In 1986, the Chernobyl Nuclear Power Plant suffered a catastrophic explosion, and in 2011, a similar disaster occurred at the Fukushima Nuclear Power Plant. According to her, the losses and damage caused by these nuclear disasters have still not been fully compensated by the respective governments.
Dr. Samantsinghar further stated that nuclear energy is inherently hazardous and carries a significant risk to human life. In most countries, nuclear energy remains under government ownership and control, and no private entity is entrusted with its ownership. However, under the BJP government, this long-standing principle is being altered by transferring nuclear energy into the hands of private companies. She alleged that for its own interests, the BJP government is showing complete disregard for the lives and safety of the people of Odisha.
She further pointed out that even after nearly five decades, the damage caused by the Chernobyl nuclear reactor accident has not been fully addressed. She questioned why the BJP government is planning to push Odisha towards such a grave risk. According to her, the BJP government has amended the existing regulations governing nuclear power plants in order to facilitate private participation. She further claimed that in December 2025, the Central Government passed a new law in Parliament paving the way for handing over the nuclear energy sector to private companies, following which private companies have now turned their attention towards Odisha. She stated that India currently has 8.8 GW of nuclear power capacity under government ownership and that increasing it to 100 GW by transferring ownership to private entities would be extremely dangerous.
Dr. Samantsinghar further said that matters concerning national security are never entrusted to private organisations. However, she alleged that the BJP government is conspiring to privatise a strategically important sector such as nuclear energy. Despite strong opposition in Parliament, the government allegedly hurriedly introduced the Nuclear Energy Bill with the intention of handing over ownership to private entities. She further alleged that since the formation of the BJP government in Odisha, the State Government has been functioning under the directions of the Central Government and is unable to take any independent decisions without instructions from the Centre. Acting on the directions of the Central Government, the State Government, she alleged, is determined to establish a nuclear power plant in Odisha by compromising the interests of the people.
Dr. Samantsinghar questioned whether the Chief Minister and Ministers of Odisha are even aware of the grave dangers associated with nuclear energy. She asserted that the BJP, which claims to be a government of the people, has instead become a threat to the people of Odisha. She demanded that the concerned Minister explain why a nuclear power plant is being established in Odisha and why the sector is being privatised. She urged the BJP government to refrain from establishing a nuclear power plant that, according to her, would put the lives of the people of Odisha at risk. Otherwise, she warned, the Biju Janata Dal would launch a mass public agitation to safeguard the interests of the people of the State.
