Indo-US reprocessing deal needs Congress nod: Report

I / Washington April 19, 2010, 19:42 IST

The reprocessing agreement, a key component of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, which would allow India to reprocess spent nuclear fuel, may not be implemented if the Congress adopts joint resolution of disapproval, a Congressional report has said.

India and the US on March 29 had announced the conclusion of reprocessing agreement to granting New Delhi advance consent to reprocess US origin spent fuel and fuel burned in US reactors.

In a report prepared for the US lawmakers, independent Congressional Research Service (CRS) has said that such an agreement needs a Congressional approval.

"The Administration must submit the subsequent arrangement to Congress, but has not yet done so," said the CRS report dated April 8.

CRS is an independent research wing of the Congress, and prepares reports for US lawmakers.

"The proposed arrangement shall not take effect if Congress adopts a joint resolution of disapproval.

The agreement signed March 29 indicates that India may construct additional facilities to reprocess fuel from US-supplied reactors.

However, any such facilities would require a new subsequent arrangement, which would also be submitted to Congress," the report said.