Govt Puts off Introducing Nuclear Liability Bill in LS

Anticipating trouble from Opposition, the government has decided to put off introduction of nuclear liability bill in Lok Sabha, said media reports.

The bill is a key step in operationalisation of the landmark Indo-US nuclear deal.

“I have a request from the Minister Prithviraj Chavan that government does not intend to introduce the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill today,” Lok Sabha Speaker Meira Kumar was quoted as announcing in the House.

Postponement of the bill, which was mentioned in the list of business for the day, triggered protests from the opposition, reports said.

Leader of the Opposition Sushma Swaraj insisted on a motion for withdrawal of the bill from the agenda as it was listed.

Kumar, however, dismissed her demand on the ground that bill was yet not introduced in the House and so such a motion could not be moved, reports said.

NDA working chairman LK Advani, though accepting Speaker’s decision, asked the government to tell why it was not going ahead with introduction of the bill since it was listed, reports said.

The deferring of introduction of the bill followed a declaration by the Left parties and the BJP that they would strongly opposed the legislation.

The bill pegs the maximum amount of liability in case of each nuclear accident at Rs 300 crore to be paid by the operator of the nuclear plant.

However, the draft bill also has provisions that would enable the government to either increase or decrease the amount of liability of any operator.

(Based on internet reports)