Upgrade safety at N-plants, PM reiterates

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday directed India’s nuclear establishment to upgrade safety features at the country’s nuclear installations, reiterating the government’s commitment to stick to planned nuclear power targets. HT reports.

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday directed India’s nuclear establishment to upgrade safety features at the country’s nuclear installations, reiterating the government’s commitment to stick to planned nuclear power targets.

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The PM discussed several safety steps, including installing state-of-the-art radiation measuring gadgets in the country’s 35 largest cities, in a meeting with the National Disaster Management Authority, nuclear establishment heads, and other top officials.

Apart from NDMA officials, home minister P Chidambaram, Planning Commission deputy chairman Montek Ahluwalia, agriculture minister Sharad Pawar, atomic energy commission chief Srikumar Banerjee and minister of state in the PMO V Narayansamy also attended the meeting.

Singh also directed all central ministries to implement guidelines on protection against biological and chemical terrorism, prepared by the NDMA.

Though the NDMA has repeatedly asked central ministries and states to implement its recommendations, most of it remain strictly on paper.

Sources, however, confirmed that the Prime Minister and other officials did not discuss concerns over Pakistan's nuclear weapons falling into the hands of terror groups including the Taliban and affiliates of the al Qaeda.