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Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) President Rajnath Singh on Thursday said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh must make a statement on reports of dilution of the Nuclear Liability Bill (NLB) in connection with US firms interested in bilateral nuclear ties.
"Prime Minister should give a statement, explaining the real situation because the reports in the media have got the whole country worried," he told media on Friday.
According to reports, a Cabinet Committee on Security (CCS) note suggests that prior to his visit to the United States to attend this year's U.N. General Assembly session and to meet President Barack Obama on its sidelines, Singh appears to be keen to have a diluted version of the NLB signed.
The diluted NLB reportedly overlooks several key factors, including security concerns. According to a television channel, the CCS note details plans to bypass the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC), a move that has raised questions.
In 2010, Parliament passed the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, which creates a liability cap for nuclear plant operators for economic damage in the event of an accident.
It also leaves nuclear suppliers free of most liability.
Critics and activists say that nuclear operators and suppliers should be jointly and absolutely liable for civil damages in the event of an accident, and that their financial liability must be unlimited.
