Kazakhstan holds referendum on first nuclear power plant amid public criticism
Almaty: Kazakhstan is voting in a referendum today to decide whether to construct its first nuclear power plant, a proposal pushed by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev's government to phase out the country’s reliance on coal-powered energy.
Despite the government's emphasis on nuclear power as a step towards sustainable energy and economic progress, the proposal has been met with public skepticism due to safety concerns, the Soviet nuclear testing legacy, and apprehensions about Russia’s involvement.
Prominent blogger Vadim Boreiko expressed doubts about the referendum, suggesting that the decision to build the plant in collaboration with Russia's state nuclear firm, Rosatom, may have already been made and that the vote is merely a formality.
Kazakhstan, a country of 20 million people with abundant natural gas reserves, currently relies heavily on aging coal-powered plants and imports electricity from Russia to meet its energy needs. The government argues that nuclear power, given the country’s status as one of the world’s largest uranium producers, would be a logical addition to its energy mix, alongside growing renewable sources like wind and solar power.
The cabinet estimates that constructing the nuclear power plant would cost between $10 billion and $12 billion. However, critics advocate for alternatives like gas-powered plants, which, while still reliant on fossil fuels, are less harmful to the environment and present fewer risks compared to nuclear facilities.
The country's history with nuclear energy includes the 1986 Chornobyl disaster and numerous Soviet nuclear weapon tests, which have left a lasting impact on public health and have caused widespread distrust towards anything related to nuclear energy.
President Tokayev, addressing these concerns, emphasised the need to focus on future developments instead of lingering on past tragedies, stating, “We must move forward and be optimistic; otherwise, we will lag behind in this global race to progress.”
The outcome of the referendum will determine whether Kazakhstan takes its first step towards nuclear energy amidst ongoing debates over the potential risks and benefits of the project.
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FIR lodged against Saurabh Bharadwaj, 3 AAP MLAs for ruckus over bus marshal issue
New Delhi, Oct 6: Delhi Police on Sunday registered a case against AAP minister Saurabh Bharadwaj and three party MLAs for the ruckus at the Secretariat and Lt Governor's House over the issue of reinstatement of bus marshals.
According to the FIR registered based on a complaint by Leader of Opposition in the Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta, the AAP MLAs have been charged under in Civil Lines police station under sections 351(2) (criminal intimidation), 126(2) (wrongful restraint), and other relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
Delhi Police has not released any statement on the matter so far.
On Saturday, Bharadwaj and other AAP leaders were seen laying at the feet of Gupta, requesting him to accompany them to LG VK Saxena's House to get his approval on the cabinet note on bus marshals.
Gupta has alleged that AAP MLAs Saurabh Bhardwaj, Kuldeep Kumar, Jarnail Singh and Rohit Mahroliya indulged in indecent behaviour that led to a scuffle.
He said this happened after the BJP MLAs submitted a memorandum on the marshals' issue to Delhi Chief Minister Atishi.
When they were leaving the meeting, AAP MLAs present at the Secretariat complex misbehaved and engaged in a scuffle, Gupta said.
On Saturday, AAP and BJP MLAs levelled allegations against each other on the issue of reinstating bus marshals.
Over 10,000 civil defence volunteers deployed as marshals in public transport buses were removed last year after an objection was raised by the directorate of civil defence that they were meant for disaster management duties.
While Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, accompanied by BJP MLAs, met LG VK Saxena and submitted a cabinet note to reinstate the bus marshals, it turned out to be a brief moment of thaw as AAP leaders soon accused the BJP of "betrayal" on the issue.
In a dramatic sequence of events, Delhi minister Saurabh Bharadwaj laid at BJP MLA Vijender Gupta's feet, requesting him to accompany AAP leaders to the LG's residence to seek Saxena's approval on the reinstatement of the bus marshals, while the chief minister left her car and sat in the BJP leader's car.
After meeting the LG, Atishi lashed out at the BJP, saying the party has "betrayed" the bus marshals.
"Firstly, the BJP MLAs were not ready to come to meet the LG, but we managed to get them with us somehow. But even after coming here, they have not asked the LG to sign the cabinet note even a single time," she said.
This is a complete betrayal by the BJP, and now the onus is on them to reinstate the bus marshals, Atishi added.
