By IANS
Tarapur (Maharashtra) : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Friday dedicated to the nation two state of the art nuclear reactors here and stressed that India could not afford to miss the “nuclear bus”.
“There is today talk the world over of a nuclear renaissance and we cannot afford to miss the bus or lag behind these global developments,” Manmohan Singh said after inaugurating the two 540 MW Pressurised Heavy Water Reactors (PHWRs) reactors in Thane district, about 100 km from Mumbai.
Speaking about a comprehensive nuclear energy plan, the prime minister said: “I have no doubt whatsoever that the sustainability of our long-term economic growth is critically dependent on our ability to meet our energy requirements in future.
“When a country of the size of India begins to grow at the rate of nine percent per annum, with a prospect of higher rates of growth, energy becomes a critical issue.”
He said it was crucial to pave the way for India to benefit from “nuclear commerce” without restrictions.
“We need to enable our industries to gain access to cutting edge technology, and we need to create opportunities for our scientists to participate in international exchange of scientific ideas and technical know how,” he stressed.
He said that the target of generating 20,000 MW by 2020 could be doubled with “international cooperation” and made clear that such cooperation would not be dependent on any one country.
“We will source supplies from many of the countries of the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG) including the US, France and Russia. However, the international cooperation with these and other countries cannot become effective until the NSG adapts its guidelines to enable nuclear commerce with India,” he pointed out.
Once these steps are taken, he said, India could commence civil nuclear cooperation with all the 45 members of the NSG.
“This will signal the end of our international isolation of the past few decades. India is now too important a country to remain outside the international mainstream is this critical area,” he said.
The prime minister’s comments came a day after his United Progressive Alliance (UPA) ended a dragging standoff with the Left over the Indo-US nuclear agreement, agreeing to form a committee that would study the deal’s impact on the country’s strategic interests and foreign policy.
Manmohan Singh said he had full confidence in India’s scientists and engineers and believed that the removal of “iniquitous restrictions and shackles” on the country’s nuclear programme would enhance indigenous capabilities.
“A strong nuclear energy programme is in our vital interest and is important for our scientific development, energy needs and security. It will add to our capabilities and strength as a nation,” he said.