India all set to sign pact on nuclear power with US

The Ministry of External (MEA) on Wednesday said the country's nuclear power agency would ink the deal with the US-based Westinghouse during Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit to Washington.

"The deal that is being negotiated NPCIL and Westinghouse is a commercial deal. But NPCIL is a government owned company, and therefore it requires approvals of government authorities, and those approvals have been granted, including by the Atomic Energy Commission on Monday," MEA spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said on board Air India One.

"Now, it means that the Atomic Energy (Commission) authorities have granted the clearance. It is now for the companies now to work out and sign the deal. When they do it is for them to decide," he added.

Dr. Singh is expected to meet US President Barack Obama in Washington DC on September 27, where the two leaders are likely to discuss the implementation of the bilateral civil nuclear deal amongst other issues.

Last week, there was major political uproar over the nuke deal going forward as it brought forth apprehensions regarding waiving the Civil Nuclear Liability Law.