By IANS,
New Delhi : Prime Minister Manmohan Singh Monday urged political parties to support the civil nuclear liability bill for the sake of India’s growth.
“We have the will to ensure that our country does have an effective nuclear liability compensatory arrangement. This we need if we have to become a major nuclear energy power,” he told a press conference to mark the first year of his Congress-led government’s second tenure.
Manmohan Singh felt that political parties who are “interested in India’s growth and interested in ensuring that India’s nuclear power programme moves forward will support this”.
The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, 2010, fixes the maximum amount of liability in case of a nuclear accident at Rs.500 crore, to be paid by the operator of the nuclear plant. Opposition parties argue this amount was too little and want the government to hike the compensation amount.
The passage of the bill is a key requirement for implementing the landmark 2008 India-US nuclear deal.
“I have no doubt that as far as the nuke agreement with the US is concerned, it will move forward,” he said.
The government tabled the bill in parliament earlier this month.