By IANS
New Delhi : As the government readies to unveil the proposed 123 draft pact next week and forge broad political consensus on the India-US nuclear deal, the Atomic Energy Commission (AEC) will hold a special meeting Friday to discuss different facets of the pact.
The AEC, headed by Anil Kakodkar who participated in negotiations with the US last week along with National Security Advisor M.K. Narayanan and Foreign Secretary Shivshankar Menon, will focus on technical details of setting up a dedicated facility for re-processing US-origin spent fuel and its implications on India's indigenous three-stage nuclear energy programme.
Besides Kakodkar and Narayanan, other members of the AEC including Cabinet Secretary K.M. Chandrasekhar and scientists C.N.R. Rao and Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) Director S. Banerjee are also expected to attend this crucial meeting.
They will also discuss technical aspects of uninterrupted lifetime fuel guarantees by the US for nuclear reactors India will place under international safeguards.
The AEC, the top governing body in the department of atomic energy, will help the government in formulating a detailed response to the objections and concerns that are likely to be raised by opposition parties after the deal is made public next week, well-placed sources told IANS.
The government is likely to unveil the 123 pact Aug 2, the sources added.