New Delhi: Left parties Tuesday alleged
that the nuclear liability bill is being pushed through
hurriedly and under pressure from the US by government to give
American companies a "huge hidden subsidy" at the cost of
Indian tax payers.
The four parties -- CPI(M), CPI, RSP and Forward Bloc
-- also alleged that the UPA is "clearly motivated" to bring
this legislation as the US, with which it is presently
negotiating a fuel re-processing agreement, has made it clear
that they were keenly following the developments in this
regard.
In an appeal to MPs to oppose the bill seeking to put
a cap on liability in case of nuclear accidents, the parties
questioned the government rationale to put a cap on liability
at Rs 2,142.85 crore, out of which around Rs 1,642 crore will
be borne by government and the rest by the reactor operator.
"We are opposed to this cap. The damage caused by a
nuclear accident is enormous and the small cap of Rs 2,142.85
crore shows the scant regard the Centre holds for the people.
Any damage beyond this will be compensated either by
government or the operator," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash
Karat told a joint press conference of Left leaders here.
He said the Civil Nuclear Liability Bill proposes no
legal liability of the foreign reactor supplier even if it
supplies faulty and substandard equipment.
"The nuclear liability regime being proposed through
the bill is nothing but a huge hidden subsidy to the US
equipment suppliers. It appears that in order to promote
private nuclear plants and favour US suppliers, the UPA is
willing to sacrifice the interests of Indian people," he said.
"This bill is the direct outcome of the commitment
made to US by India during nuclear deal negotiations that we
will buy 10,000 MW nuclear reactors from them. The US is
asking for this legislation prior to any commercial sale of
reactors," Karat said.
He noted that India has agreements with Russia and
France to buy reactors but both the countries have not asked
for such a condition to bail out their companies from
liabilities in case of a nuclear accident.
"It is truly amazing that the UPA has brought this
legislation which exempt foreign nuclear reactor suppliers
from any liability. The main liability lies with government
which means that the tax payer has to pay from his pocket," he
said.
The Left parties are against capping the liability, he
said appealing to UPA lawmakers to visit Hiroshima and
Nagasaki to understand the extent of damage a nuclear
explosion has caused.
On government`s insistence on joining Convention on
Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage, Karat said the
government was "interested" in joining a Convention in which
the US has an interest.
"This Convention is to help private US players. Why
did not Russia or France or Japan join it? Only four countries
including the US, Argentina, Morocco and Romania have ratified
it so far.
"The Convention has not yet entered into force since
it requires the ratification of at least five States with a
minimum of 400,000 MW of installed nuclear capacity," he said,
adding the government should explain why it is not interested
in Vienna or Paris Conventions, that do not put a cap on
nuclear liability.
Karat said the argument for joining the Convention on
Supplementary Compensation for Nuclear Damage is that it will
give the country access to an international fund to compensate
victims of nuclear accidents.
"The Convention is not in place now and how are they
going to compensate in case of a nuclear accident," Karat
asked.
The Left parties alleged that the US has made a
"precondition" that India must put a cap on liability of the
nuclear operators and virtually remove all liabilities of the
equipment suppliers before it delivers on its promises in the
India US Nuclear Deal.
"That is why the Fuel Reprocessing Consent, claimed to
be a done deal by the proponents of the Nuclear Deal has yet
to be agreed to by the US," Karat said.
When pointed out that the government has accused the
Left of having an "unholy" alliance with BJP in opposing the
legislation, he said, "All what we are saying is that the bill
is unholy."
"The suppliers` liability has been made virtually
non-existent in the proposed Bill. Normally, if any accident
takes place in a nuclear plant, the victims and the Indian
operator should be able to sue the supplier for damages if the
cause of the accident is found to be poor or faulty equipment.
The Bill takes away this legal right of the Indian operator as
well as the victims," he said.
PTI
