The United Progressive Alliance (UPA) government is keen on passing the contentious civil nuclear liability bill in the current session of Parliament, senior government sources said here. For that to happen, the session may be extended by a week.
This session is the last opportunity for the government to get the bill through before U.S. President Barack Obama's scheduled visit to India in early November. The passage of the bill is critical, as it is only after it becomes a law, that U.S. companies can start selling nuclear reactors to India.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which is examining the Bill that was introduced in the Lok Sabha in May, is finalising its report after completion of all the hearings. Last week, Union Minister for Science and Technology Prithviraj Chavan, stressing that the government was open to making the bill more “robust and transparent,” said he expected the committee to submit its report soon, after which it would be looked at by the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The DAE, he had said, would look at the suggestions, and then forward what was “acceptable” to the Cabinet to get the amendments approved. After that, it will come to Parliament.
The exercise conducted by the Parliamentary Standing Committee was tortuous, as it had to address the complicated environmental, health and liability concerns raised by the Opposition.
