US 'pleased' with Indian move to proceed with N-liability bill

The Obama Administration has said it is "pleased" with the Indian government's decision to go ahead with a bill on nuclear liability in Parliament, describing it as a key move in implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

The Obama Administration has said it is "pleased" with the Indian government's decision to go ahead with a bill on nuclear liability in Parliament, describing it as a key move in implementation of the Indo-US civil nuclear deal.

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"We were very gratified to learn ... (about) India's intention to introduce this bill in the current session of the Indian Parliament," Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia, Robert Blake, told the popular Japanese newspaper 'Asahi Shimbun' in an interview.

The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010, which addresses the issue of liability of private operators of nuclear plants, is expected to be introduced in Lok Sabha on Monday. It pegs the maximum amount of liability in case of each nuclear accident at Rs 300 crore to be paid by the operator of the nuclear plant.

"...we are pleased with (the decision to introduce the bill in Parliament) that and we'll be following the progress of that legislation very closely. And, the ultimate goal of ours is, of course, to allow the export of nuclear reactors to India. As you know, the Indians have set aside two nuclear reactor park sites, in the states of Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh," he said.