Bhubaneswar: The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) on Wednesday launched a fierce attack on the Odisha government over a proposal to establish private nuclear power plants in the state, raising serious concerns about safety, national security and legal implications.
The opposition comes in the wake of reports that representatives of the Adani Group met Deputy Chief Minister and Energy Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo to discuss a ₹1.5 lakh crore investment proposal in the state’s clean energy sector.
Addressing a press conference in Bhubaneswar, BJD leader and spokesperson Lekhashree Samantsinghar warned against converting Odisha into a “nuclear laboratory” and demanded an immediate clarification from both the state and central governments. “A proposal has been made by a private company to establish nuclear power plants in Odisha. Representatives of the company recently met Deputy Chief Minister Kanak Vardhan Singh Deo and held discussions regarding the proposal. The BJP government is paving the way for privatisation of the nuclear energy sector,” she stated.
The regional party argued that transferring critical atomic infrastructure into corporate hands exposes citizens to unmanageable hazards. “The BJP ‘double-engine’ government is compromising public safety and state’s interest in favour of private corporate entities,” Samantsinghar alleged.
Emphasising the intrinsic risks associated with nuclear power, the opposition party insisted that the sector should strictly remain under state monopoly, as observed across major global economies like France, Russia, China, and South Africa. “Nuclear energy is a matter of national security and public safety, much like defence. You cannot hand over such destructive force and critical infrastructure to private corporate entities,” the spokesperson declared.
She noted that nuclear power generation remains under strict government monopoly in most countries, including France, Russia, China and South Africa, while nations such as Germany and Taiwan have phased it out due to safety risks. “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 stated.
Recalling the Chernobyl disaster of 1986 and the Fukushima accident of 2011, the BJD leader emphasised the irreversible, multi-generational consequences of nuclear accidents. “If a nuclear accident occurs, spending even lakhs of crores of rupees will not suffice for compensation. Countries like Japan are still managing the fallout of Fukushima 15 years later. Odisha cannot risk its biodiversity, people, and future generations for private profit,” cautioned, noting that generational environmental destruction cannot be rectified through corporate financial payouts.
The BJD further highlighted that Odisha is already power-surplus, with peak demand around 6,500 MW against current generation of about 9,000 MW, and has no structural need for nuclear plants. “Odisha is already a power-surplus state. We do not need nuclear reactors or nuclear power plants. If energy is required elsewhere under One Nation One Power Grid, plants should be set up in non-surplus regions instead of forcing a red flag onto Odisha,” Samantsinghar stressed.
The BJD leader also criticised the central government’s Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Act, 2025, which replaced the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010. The legislation, passed in December 2025, opens the nuclear sector to private participation, including fuel handling, mining, import-export and up to 49 per cent foreign direct investment, while capping operator liability (reaching ₹3,000 crore for the largest plants) and removing certain supplier liability provisions.
She alleged it was rushed through without adequate parliamentary debate. India currently has about 8.8 GW of nuclear capacity and aims for 100 GW by 2047, with private players expected to contribute significantly.
The party questioned such meetings and private parties have started conducting land searches, and preparing Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) within just six months of passing the Act, even before formal rules, regulatory frameworks, or safety protocols are finalised. “A process that normally requires at least five years of feasibility, seismic, and environmental studies is being rushed within six months. The Deputy CM must clarify under what capacity these meetings were held when rules haven’t even been framed yet.”
She described the speed as shocking and questioned allowing private ownership in such a strategic sector.
Seeking an apology from the Deputy CM and assurance to halt private atomic projects, Samantsinghar warned that any attempt by the BJP-led state government to proceed with the proposal will be met with state-wide agitations.
In late July, the group proposed developing two 3,000 MW nuclear plants, a 2,400 MW ultra-supercritical thermal plant, and several pumped storage projects to supply reliable, low-emission baseload power, bolstering the state’s energy security and advancing India’s net-zero goal.
