nuclear-news

India govt doing a back door deal to subvert Nuclear Liability Bill?

Desperate to push through its nuclear energy programme, it would appear that the Indian government may try to push through back-door amendments to limit the liability of foreign suppliers in case of an accident.

(India) Govt set to dilute n-liability bill thru back door? domain-b.com news 11 October 2010 Science and technology minister Prithviraj Chavan’s latest comments seem to indicate that the government is not happy about the stringent nuclear liability rules forced down its throat in the wake of the pitiful Bhopal gas disaster verdict.

Desperate to push through its nuclear energy programme, it would appear that the Indian government may try to push through back-door amendments to limit the liability of foreign suppliers in case of an accident.

Minister of state for science and technology Prithiviraj Chavan said on Sunday that India is drafting new regulations to assuage nuclear-power companies’ concerns over their potential liability for accidents, in a move that is being connected with securing deals with US nuclear suppliers ahead of the visit by president Barack Obama next month, which Indian officials and media are awaiting with eager servility.

Parliament passed a law in late August that exposes to liability companies that provide nuclear reactors and other equipment for power plants, as the opposition clamoured against clauses in the law that aim to limit suppliers’ liability. The opposition took heart from the outrage over the verdict in the Bhopal gas tragedy, which left the perpetrators virtually untouched.

The strengthening of the law has spooked firms such as General Electric Co and Westinghouse Electric Co, and raised the possibility they might not sell their nuclear technology to India. Such a development would call into question whether the US will enjoy any commercial benefits from the civil nuclear energy agreement the countries completed in 2008,

Chavan said the goal is to announce equipment procurement deals when Mr. Obama visits India for several days in early November

domain-b.com : Govt set to dilute n-liability bill thru back door?

October 12, 2010 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | India, secrets,lies and civil liberties | antinuclear, nuclear, nuclear secrecy, nuclear spin, reactors