Chennai, Oct 24 (IANS): After staying away from work for 11 days on the Tamil Nadu government's suggestion, around 350 scientists and technicians Monday reported for work at the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Project (KNPP). Officials say the work stoppage has set back the project by six months.

Villagers protesting the power plant laid siege to it Oct 13 and did not allow anyone to go in. The administration had asked officials of India's nuclear power plant operator NPCIL to keep away till the situation normalised.

"We didn't hear anything from state officials," an NPCIL official said.

Tamil Nadu officials were reluctant to take any pro-active action as the state government had earlier asked the central government to stop all work at the plant site till the fears of the people were allayed.

But after 11 days of being confined to their township, around 350 scientists and technicians of the Kudankulam project (KNPP) Monday reached their office in buses.

"Even senior officers who normally come by their own vehicle boarded the bus today," a nuclear plant official told IANS on condition of anonymity.

"Now the district administration has asked us to keep quiet and not sent back the buses to ferry other employees."

Another official told IANS: "For several days, we didn't hear anything from the district administration. They asked us to wait. Many people were getting demoralised."

NPCIL is building two 1,000 MW nuclear power reactors with Russian technology and equipment in Kudankulam, around 650 km from here. The first unit is expected to go on stream in December. The project cost is estimated around Rs.13,000 crore.

While the NPCIL officials Monday dusted their seats and tables to start work after 11 days, a preliminary inspection of the reactor and other equipment seemed to reveal they were fine.

The officials say the protests against the project has set the clock back at least by six months.

Meanwhile, the relay fast in Idinthakarai near Kudankulam by villagers entered its seventh day Monday.

According to S. Sivasubramanian, coordinator of the People's Rights Movement, an organisation fighting for the plant's closure, protests were also held in Tiruchendur and Nagarkoil towns.

Asked about NPCIL officials going back to work, he said: "We will discuss the issue and if need be we will again shift our protest to Kudankulam and block the roads to the plant."