Nuclear power plant being set up in Gorakhpur of Fatehabad district of Haryana to generate around 4000 jobs after being operational.
Even, during the peak construction time, around 8000 persons are estimated to be employed at Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP) which following a bell curve pattern.
As per a written reply to a question by MP Asaduddin Owaisi the Minister of State in the Prime Minister’s Office and Atomic Energy and Space, Dr. Jitendra Singh Union Minister of State for Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions and Prime Minister’s Office Dr Jitendra Singh, in the Lok Sabha the Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Project comprises of two twin units of 700 MW each, once operational, each of the twin unit stations are estimated to employ (both direct and indirect) around 2000 persons.
In addition, there is a large potential for employment with contractors, vendors and business opportunities that will emerge consequent to increase in economic activities at the site, reads the reply also the minister informed that at present a total of 3080 persons are engaged in GHAVP, out of which 1339 belong to the state of Haryana.
In response to whether the government has made any impact assessment of the Gorakhpur Nuclear Power Plant on the local water supply, the minister stated that a comprehensive Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of setting up nuclear power plants including the impact on local water supply was carried out as a part of obtaining environmental clearance for the project from the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC).
On whether any special provisions have been made to engage local youth in the plant, the minister informed that special provisions for relaxations in the age and marks have been made in engagement provisions for Project Affected Persons. Further, preference to suitable local youth is a part of engagement provisions of various contracts and skill development programmes, scholarships and sponsorships for higher education to the meritorious students in the local area are also provided as a part of Corporate Social Responsibility activities.
Spread over 1400 acres, the foundation stone of the 2800 megawatt nuclear power plant was laid on 13 January 2014 by the former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. But following protests by farmers the actual construction began in 2018. The first phase of the project will have an installed capacity of 1400 MW and was expected to be completed by 2025. The total sanctioned cost of the project stood at Rs 20594 crore for the part 1 and 2 and Rs 21000 crore for the part 3 and 4 and nearly Rs 5200 crores have already been spent on this project.
