CPI-M asks parties to oppose new amendments to N-bill

Berating the new changes in the Nuclear Liability Bill brought by the Government, the CPI(M) today said it was not in national interest and asked all parties to oppose it.

Berating the new changes in the Nuclear Liability Bill brought by the Government, the CPI(M) on Monday said it was not in national interest and asked all parties to oppose it.

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Party politburo member and Rajya Sabha MP Brinda Karat said the government has gone against the recommendations of the Standing Committee that went into the Bill for the third time.

"Definitely, it is not in national interest... the latest amendment goes against the recommendations of the Standing Committee of Parliament," she said.

The CPI(M) leader alleged that the new amendments would only help and protect foreign suppliers.

"As far as national interest is concerned, we certainly request and think all parties should move against the amendments," she said.

One of the 18 amendments cleared by the Union Cabinet suggests that an accident in a nuclear plant should have occurred as a consequence of an act done with an "intent" if an operator has to claim damages from the supplier.

The Left parties had on Sunday slammed the new amendments and said it would make it impossible to ascribe liability to suppliers of equipment to new atomic power plants.

"The formulation of 17 (b) proposed in the amendment is in fact worse than the provision contained in the original bill," CPI(M) General Secretary Prakash Karat, CPI General Secretary AB Bardhan, Forward Bloc leader Debabrata Biswas and Abani Roy of the Revolutionary Socialist Party had said in a statement.