India not ready to budge on Nuclear liability Bill
October 24th, 2010 - 10:16 pm ICT by ANI
By Naveen Kapoor
New Delhi, Oct.24 (ANI): Ahead of U.S. President Barack Obama’s November visit to India, New Delhi has reportedly told the United States that it is not ready to amend the Nuclear Liability Bill passed by Parliament.
US companies like White Westinghouse and General Electronics have expressed apprehension over the recently passed Nuclear Liability Bill that gives the operator the right to recourse and impose liability on the suppliers in case of a nuclear mishap.
Major reservations have been expressed about Clause 17 (B) of the Bill.
India insists that the Bill that has been approved, not in favour of companies of a particular country, but to provide level-playing field to all the nuclear suppliers.
India is also expected to join the Convention on Supplementary Compensation (CSC) of nuclear liability.
US companies are run privately and are finding it extremely difficult to bear liability risks whereas other suppliers like Russia and France’s Areva are government run. The US companies say that the liability bill is not in tune with the global regime and have asked India to display more flexibility.
US companies are eyeing a large pie of the potential 150 billion dollar civil nuclear technology industry in India.
According to sources, India will also be raising the issue of US funding to Pakistan and will be asking the US to bring more accountability and set a mechanism to monitor the aid given to Pakistan.
The doses of aid being given to Pakistan are used sanguinely by India centric Pakistan and the money is misused by Pakistan against India.
US has recently announced 2 billion dollars as a military aid to Pakistan. (ANI)
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- France wants India to stick to global n-liability standards (Lead) - Dec 02, 2010
- US pushes India on n-liability law, Pakistan on 26/11 trial (Roundup) - Jul 19, 2011
- BJP sees positive government signals on n-liability bill - Aug 17, 2010
- US officials describe India's plan to sign CSC "a positive step" - Oct 26, 2010
- US trade group for absolute liability for n-plant operators - Aug 31, 2010
- Government relents, fixes suppliers' liability in n-bill (Night Lead) - Aug 20, 2010
- US pushes India on n-liability law, talks tough on Pakistan (Evening Lead) - Jul 19, 2011
- Ahead of Obama visit, India signs n-liability pact (Lead) - Oct 27, 2010
- US looks to India for changes in liability law - Sep 08, 2010
- Panel on n-bill seeks operator's liability at Rs.1,500 crore - Aug 18, 2010
- US-India Business Council's guarded comments on civil nuclear liability bill - Aug 31, 2010
Tags: apprehension, areva, barack obama, billion dollars, csc, favour, general electronics, global regime, liability bill, liability risks, military aid, naveen, New Delhi, nuclear liability, nuclear mishap, nuclear technology, recourse, supplementary compensation, technology industry, white westinghouse