Greenpeace alerts MPs to constitutional blunder

Greenpeace today urged Members of Parliament (MPs) from across the political spectrum to live up to their responsibilities. As elected representatives of the people of India they must reject the proposed Civil Liabilities for Nuclear Damage Bill 2009. In case of a nuclear disaster the bill limits the damage liability of the operator and the supplier.  “Our people expect better from their leaders who conspire to peg the life of an Indian citizen at less than what victims of the Bhopal Gas tragedy got 20 years ago, which in itself was a miscarriage of justice” said Karuna Raina, anti nuclear campaigner, Greenpeace.

“We have written to all 795 MPs alerting them to the fact that the bill to be tabled in the Lok Sabha in this budget session not only allows US companies to go scot free in case of a nuclear mishap but also uses Indian taxpayers money to pay for the damages. Having lived through the trauma of Bhopal only a leader with a dead conscience will even consider the bill. Our message to the law makers in Parliament is clear. ”Drop the bill”, said Karuna.

Greenpeace shared with MPs the opinion of Soli Sorabjee, former Attorney General who reviewed the bill and declared it as unconstitutional. Legal luminaries Prashant Bhushan, K.K. Venugopal, P.P. Rao, B.B. Singh also endorsed Mr Sorabjee’s opinion. The former chairman of atomic energy regulatory board (AERB) A. Gopalkrishnan, the Human Rights Law Network and hundreds of people have also opposed the bill. 

The clause to cap the liability of the operator to Rs. 2385 crore when in the US the Liability is $ 10 billion(1) is glaring and any legislation that attempts to impose a cap on liability, dilute the Polluter Pays and  the Precautionary Principle will be in blatant defiance of Supreme Court judgments and should be struck down”.  The contrast is laughable. The Congress party’s aam admi has been abandoned.

Footnote
1. http://www.ans.org/pi/ps/docs/ps54-bi.pdf