Govt to form body to oversee nuclear safety

The Cabinet on Tuesday will take up the Nuclear Safety And Regulatory Authority Bill 2011 which will seek to establish the council of nuclear safety — the nuclear safety regulatory authority — and significantly also other regulatory bodies for the purpose of national defence and security.

The Cabinet on Tuesday will take up the Nuclear Safety And Regulatory Authority Bill 2011 which will seek to establish the council of nuclear safety — the nuclear safety regulatory authority — and significantly also other regulatory bodies for the purpose of national defence and security.

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The bill comes in the backdrop of rising concerns about the impact of any nuclear accident in India, of the kind that had taken place in Fukushima in Japan. After reviewing the situation, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, in April, had announced the decision to establish an independent nuclear regulator.

The council of nuclear safety — expected to be headed by the prime minister — will oversee and review policies with respect to radiation and nuclear safety and other related matters.

The regulatory authority will seek to ensure that the use of radiation and atomic energy is safe for the health of radiation workers, the public and the environment. The bill empowers the council to set up the appellate authority.

Significantly, the bill will have provisions to ensure that the right to information act, 2005 will not apply to certain information specified in the Act.

In line with the nuclear safety regulatory authority bill, certain amendments will also be made in the Atomic Energy Act, 1962, the Disaster Management Act 2005 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act, 2010.

Consumer Protection Bill
The cabinet will also take up the consumer protection (amendment) bill which seeks to empower consumers, infuse transparency and ensure quicker disposal of cases by specifying a time frame.

BHEL disinvestment
The clearance of 5% disinvestment for Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited is also on the table as part of the Centre's plan to raise Rs40,000 crore through public sector disinvestment in the current fiscal.