UPA blinks first on nuke intent

With the BJP and Left parties refusing to support the amended Nuclear Liability Bill, the government was forced to relent on Monday and is now willing to make “reasonable modifications” to the bill to secure its passage in the Lok Sabha.

Elaborating on possible changes, minister of state for science and technology, Mr Prithviraj Chavan, said Monday that he was looking at all three drafts — the original bill, the recommendations made by the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, and the 18 amendments made to this draft.

“But we have an open mind... Please come up with concrete suggestions, we are ready to accept... It is not a closed door,” said Mr Chavan, who is also minister of state at the PMO.

“Ideally, we would like to see changes in the amendments and not go back to the original draft since the changes comprised the distilled wisdom of the first two drafts,” the minister said, acknowledging that the government was now willing to go the entire length and drop the word “intent” which had been introduced in Clause 17(b) — under which the operator of a nuclear plant can seek damages only if an accident has occurred due to the “intent” of the supplier or its employees.