Govt drops controversial word in nuclear liability bill

New Delhi, Aug 20 (PTI) Bowing to pressure from
opposition parties Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Left,
the Indian Government Friday dropped a controversial addition
in the civil nuclear liability bill which the Opposition said
diluted the liability of suppliers for accidents caused by
their negligence.
The Union Cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister
Manmohan Singh, put its stamp of approval on the Civil
Liability for Nuclear Bill deciding to omit the word 'and'
connecting two sub-clauses of the draft legislation.
With this, deckshave been cleared for introduction of the
bill in Parliament.
The Cabinet accepted almost all the key suggestions made
by the Parliamentary Standing Committee which had submitted
its report to Parliament two days back.
Sources said the amendments also made it clear that the
operator cannot seek a right to recourse unless he has settled
the full compensation claims of the victims of a nuclear
accident.
The date of introduction of the Bill in Parliament is
expected to be decided at a meeting of the Business Advisory
Committee of the Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament).
The semblence of consensus on the Bill was virtually
shattered with Left parties criticising the government of
introducing the word 'and' between Clause 17 (a) and Clause 17
(b), a move they claimed diluted the obligation of foreign
suppliers of nuclear equipment in case on an accident.
The BJP, which had agreed to support the bill, also joined
the Left and raised the matter with the government late
Thursday evening on addition the word in Clause 17 which says
that "the operator of a nuclear installation shall have a
right to recourse where -- (A) such right is expressly
provided for in a contract in writing".
The parties fear that insertion of the word 'and'
dilutes the obligations on the suppliers of equipment in case
of a nuclear accident.
The fresh concerns led to a series of consultations
within the government all through the day Thursday and an
agreement was reached within to not to accept the suggestion
pertaining to that particular sub-clause in the Committee
report.
The report of Standing Committee on Science and
Technology proposed that the Clause 17(A) may end with word
'and'.
It also proposed modification of Clause 17(b) to say
"the nuclear incident has resulted as a consequence of latent
or patent defect, supply of sub-standard material, defective
equipment or services or from the gross negligence on the part
of the supplier of the material, equipment or services". PTI