Supporting the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, the BJP said though it had reservations on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal, the liability bill will provide victims an easier remedy for claims.
During the debate before the Upper House passed the bill, PMO minister of state Prithviraj Chavan, amid repeated thumping of desks by the Prime Minister and other treasury bench members, said the government had tried to reach out to the Opposition by accepting 18 amendments.
But the Left parties continued to oppose the bill. CPI(M) leader Sitaram Yechury said it aimed to benefit US interests, and also contested Mr Chavan’s claim that the compensation amount matched that available in the US. He moved an amendment to raise it to `10,000 crores, but this was defeated.
Initiating the debate, Leader of the Opposition in the Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the bill in its present form channelised the liability which victims could claim. He asked the government not to get carried away by the “phoney campaign” that no global supplier would come to India with the proposed law fixing suppliers’ liability in the event of a nuclear mishap. He said the inclusion of suppliers’ liability would be a feature unique to India, and could become a global model. He said when India bought 40 reactors, the character of the global market would change. Mr Jaitley also praised Mr Chavan for the “flexibility” and “humility” he displayed in trying to “accommodate various concerns, both of the Opposition and other interested groups while this bill was being drafted.”