The Government today refuted the charge that the Nuclear Liability Bill was being brought under foreign pressure and said it is willing to refer the measure to a Parliamentary Standing Committee for scrutiny.
The bill, which provides for compensation in case of a nuclear accident, is a key step in operationalising the Indo- US nuclear deal.
"Parliament is the right forum (to discuss the Bill). If the House wants to send the Bill to a Parliamentary Standing Committee, we will do (that)," Minister of State in Prime Minister's Office Prithviraj Chavan said in Rajya Sabha.
He said during Question Hour that the Bill has been under consideration for very long as the Public Liability Insurance Act of 1991 (enacted in the aftermath of the Bhopal gas tragedy in 1984) is not applicable to nuclear incidents.
"Thus, at present there is no law to provide compensation to the victims of a nuclear incident. Is there any pressure (from foreign companies to bring the Bill)? Absolutely none," he said.
"I refute the charge that the Bill is being brought under pressure from any particular country," Chavan said.
The Government, he said, intends to produce a Bill in Lok Sabha to provide for civil liability for nuclear damages. He, however, did not put a timeframe for its introduction.
Chavan said there was no question of any foreign company setting up a nuclear power plant in the country as the Atomic Energy Act prohibits any firm other then a PSU to set up and operate nuclear plants in India.
"Nuclear power plants can only be set up either by the Central Government itself or through any authority or corporation established by it or a Central Government company," he said.
Government proposes to buy nuclear reactors from abroad but the same would be operated by Government companies.
India, he said, was negotiating with three countries for supply of nuclear reactors and all feel that the liability, in case of an accident, should be channeled to the operator.
"It is absolute liability of the operator in case of any incident," he said. "The proposed legislation provides for prompt compensation to the victims of a nuclear incident."
"The Bill facilitates payment of compensation by enforcing no-fault liability on the operator of a nuclear installation," he said.
