Koodankulam Nuclear Project Gets a Green Light March 19, 2012, 9:52 am Speaking out Monday in favor of going ahead with work on the Koodankulam nuclear reactors, Chief Minister J. Jayalalitha of Tamil Nadu put an end to the deadlock over the project. Ms. Jayalalitha issued a statement saying that in accordance with a cabinet decision on Monday, "immediate steps will be taken" to help open the plant. Protests against the project have been ongoing since October last year, spearheaded by the People's Movement Against Nuclear Energy. Key members of the P.M.A.N.E., including S.P. Udayakumar and M. Pushparayan had visited Ms. Jayalalitha over ten days ago to present their case and seek her help in opposing the central government's decision to continue work on Koodankulam. Earlier this year, the controversy over the project had blown up after the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement that the protests were supported by nongovernmental organizations based in the United States. P.M.A.N.E. submitted a complaint to the prime minister's office and continued its protests in the region, even as work stopped temporarily. Residents of Idinthakarai and Koodankulam have had unaddressed fears over their safety in case of any nuclear accident. As of Monday, following Ms. Jayalalitha's backing for the project, Mr. Udayakumar had begun a "fast unto death," which a team member describes as an "effort to convey the feelings of the people who have been actively involved in the movement."