Govt drops sticky word in nuke bill

Govt drops sticky word in nuke bill
PTI
NEW DELHI, AUG 20
Buckling under opposition pressure, government has dropped a controversial change in the Nuclear Liability Bill which was today approved by the Union cabinet, brightening chances of its passage in parliament next week.
The cabinet, at a meeting chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, accepted 18 recommendations made by the Parliamentary Standing Committee On Science And Technology that examined the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010.
It, however, rejected one proposed amendment which had triggered a row as it was seen as diluting the right of a nuclear plant operator, which will be government undertaking, to seek compensation from the supplier of equipment and material in case of an accident.
The rejected recommendation was the addition of the word “and” between Clause 17(A) and (B), which had triggered objections from BJP and Left parties on the ground that it would dilute the operator’s right to claim damages.
The committee had recommended that Clause 17 should be read as “The operator of a nuclear installation shall have the right of recourse where — (A) “such right is expressly provided for in a contract in writing and (B) “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.”
Instead, the government decided to preface the Clause 17 with the wording that the operator could, after compensating the victims, exercise the right of recourse against the
supplier.
 This is aimed at addressing the concerns that the BJP and Left had over clubbing of the clause.
The BJP, which had agreed to support the bill, yesterday raised objection to the committee’s recommendation for addition of word “and”, saying it was not discussed with it.
The Left also attacked the government, saying it was trying to protect the suppliers by diluting the operator’s right to seek compensation.
The fresh concerns led to a series of consultations within the government throughout yesterday and it was decided that the committee’s particular recommendation for clubbing
two sub-clauses would not be accepted.
After clearance by the cabinet, the bill is expected to be moved for consideration in the Lok Sabha on August 25.
The bill, which was introduced in the Lok Sabha on May 7, is crucial for operationalisation of India’s civil nuclear agreements with various countries, particularly the United States.