The Biju Janata Dal (BJD) has strongly opposed the proposed establishment of a privately-owned nuclear power plant in Odisha, alleging that the BJP government is compromising public safety and state interests in favour of private corporate entities. According to Lekhashree Samantsinghar, BJD's senior vice-president, the party criticized the government's approach to privatizing the nuclear energy sector, claiming it would pose serious risks to public health and national security. The opposition comes after reports that a private company met Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo to discuss a proposal for setting up a nuclear power plant in the state, with the proposed facility having an estimated generation capacity of nearly 3,000 MW. As per recent analysis, nuclear power remains vulnerable to kinetic risks and faces specific challenges in deployment, though it continues to serve as a viable strategic hedge against hydrocarbon dependence.
The BJD has raised serious concerns about the proposed nuclear facility's impact on public health and safety, arguing that nuclear energy is inherently sensitive and any accident could result in catastrophic loss of life and long-term environmental damage. Samantsinghar emphasized that nuclear power infrastructure remains under government ownership in most countries due to its strategic importance, but alleged that the BJP-led government at the Centre is attempting to hand over the sector to private companies. The opposition leader maintained that in most countries, nuclear power infrastructure remains under government ownership because of its strategic importance, questioning the wisdom of allowing private ownership in this strategic sector. Recent analysis highlights that nuclear energy expands the threat surface at a time when energy infrastructure attacks are part of geopolitical contestation, alongside concerns regarding potential uranium proliferation and waste management complexity.
The government has announced an ambitious Nuclear Energy Mission for Viksit Bharat with a target of achieving a nuclear power capacity of 100 GW by 2047. According to Minister of State Jitendra Singh's statement, India currently has around 8.8 GW of government-owned nuclear power generation capacity, but the Centre plans to expand it to nearly 100 GW with private sector participation. The latest official details confirm that nuclear power projects typically have a construction period of 10-12 years, with the government maintaining its commitment to this ambitious nuclear energy target despite current global uncertainties. However, the BJD alleges that the Centre amended rules governing the nuclear sector in December 2025 and enacted legislation to facilitate greater private participation in nuclear energy. Recent global developments show more than 31 countries currently operating nuclear reactors, around 80 nuclear reactors under construction, and 42 nations committing to tripling their nuclear capacity by 2050.
The minister outlined the nuclear power plants currently under construction, including one 700-megawatt unit at the Rajasthan Atomic Power Station (RAPP), two 700 MW units at the Gorakhpur Haryana Anu Vidyut Pariyojana (GHAVP), and four 1,000 MW units at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant in Tamil Nadu. As reported by Singh, these projects represent the government's ongoing commitment to nuclear energy development despite public concerns, with the construction timeline spanning the next decade as part of India's energy security strategy. The latest official statement confirms that the details of Nuclear Power Projects under various stages of implementation and those planned are tabulated in Annexure. Recent analysis emphasizes that uranium's advantages include high energy density - a single uranium pellet produces energy equivalent to 907 kilograms of coal, 564 litres of oil, and 1,700 cubic feet of natural gas.
