Sibal upholds N-deal stance

Reiterating the benefits of the Indo-US nuclear deal, Kapil Sibal, Union minister for science and technology on Saturday admitted that the deal was not the ultimate solution to the energy needs of the country, though it was one of the inevitable solutions to the future energy crisis, and hence the long term economic well being of the country.

However, the minster maintained the earlier stand of the Congress party favouring the deal.

"We are keen on the deal, and any option we get for generating more electricity must be embraced by all," he said.

The comment comes at a time when CPI(M) veteran Jyoti Basu and other hardliners have ruled out any "compromise" with the deal at the party's politburo meet.

"Nuclear energy is one of the options in the basket of solutions present before us. Nuclear energy is not the panacea for every problem. Energy demand is huge, ans one must opt for every possible options to solve it and nuclear energy is one of them. It is debated because it is in public domain," he said.

Even if the ambitious target of generating 63,000 mw of nuclear energy by 2032 is met, generation would be less than the 10 per cent of the country's overall energy demands, he admitted.

Advocating in favour of the deal, Sibal said even though nuclear energy accounted for 1 per cent of China's energy production, the country was planning to build as many as 77 nuclear power plants in future.

Replying to a question regarding the high cost of setting up nuclear energy plant, Sibal said differential pricing could be the answer to the capital cost of nuclear energy.

"Energy can be sold at different prices," he said.

The US president's commitment for India-specific safeguards for civil nuclear facilities' inspection and India's exclusive right to reprocess the spent fuel, which is not even granted to China, presented the case in favour of the deal, said Sibal.

Veteran CPI-M leader Jyoti Basu on September 29 ruled out any "compromise" with the government over the Indo-US nuclear deal.

"We cannot compromise. Let us see what the Congress does and then we shall take a decision," Basu, attending the CPI(M)'s Central Committee meeting, told newsmen when asked whether the party would take the 'extreme step' or compromise on the nuclear deal.

The CPI-M patriarch's comments come amidst reports that leaders from Bengal were opposed to the "hardline" view of the central leadership on the nuclear deal with the US and that they were opposed to any withdrawal of support to the UPA government at the centre.

He said External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, who is also the convener of the UPA-Left committee on the nuclear agreement, had a telephonic discussion with him on September 28 ahead of the October 5 meeting of the committee.

"I have told him, you (Mukherjee) are convening the meeting. You will be present there but we cannot compromise," the CPI(M) patriarch said.

The committee will have another meeting later next month, Basu said.

CPI-M general secretary Prakash Karat has submitted a report before the central committee on the issue, Basu said adding it was being discussed.

While the Politburo discussed the issue on September 28, the Central Committee began three-day deliberations on September 29.