Published: Wednesday, Aug 4, 2010, 2:30 IST
By Harish Gupta | Place: New Delhi | Agency: DNA
http://www.dnaindia.com/india/report_finally-nuclear-liability-bill-moves-towards-consensus_1418555
The decks seem to have been cleared for the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, with consensus finally emerging.
In order to placate the opposition, which had been up in arms against the bill, a clause has been incorporated relating to the supplier’s financial liability for faulty equipment.
The parliamentary standing committee on the bill, headed by
T Subbarami Reddy, has incorporated several changes in it to soothe the opposition’s hurt feelings. It is believed that while the liability of a nuclear plant’s operator has been fixed at Rs1,000 crore, up from Rs500 crore, the government’s is Rs2,300 crore.
No financial limit has been set for the state in the event of a nuclear disaster.
The government and the opposition have been at loggerheads over the financial liability aspect. The Reddy committee held its 25th meeting on Tuesday evening and is understood to have fixed a timetable for the clearance of the bill.
The defence secretary, banking heads, and the chairmen of the Atomic Energy Commission, Insurance Regulatory Commission and Tata Memorial Hospital appeared before the marathon meeting of the committee. More than a dozen representatives of ministries and departments, NGOs, trade unions and media houses too were present at the meeting.
Since nuclear plants in India are operated by the government under the aegis of the Nuclear Power Corporation of India, financial liability in case of an accident will principally be of the state. Also, equipment suppliers, mainly foreign, will be made to pay compensation if their equipment will be found faulty.
Reddy said: “We are working hard to submit our report early. We are evolving a consensus and I am satisfied with the deliberations.”
There are indications that the government would like to bring the amended bill before Parliament by August 10 and see to it that it is cleared in the monsoon session itself.
