Nuclear Damage Bill to be introduced in Lok Sabha

New Delhi, Mar 15 (ANI): The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, which provides for compensation in case of a nuclear accident and is key to operationalise the Indo-US nuclear deal, is all set to be introduced in the Lok Sabha on Monday.l

The BJP and the Left parties have already indicated their opposition to the crucial bill providing compesation to the victims.

The bill puts the maximum amount of liability in case of each nuclear accident at Rs 300 crore to be paid by the operator of the nuclear plant and also has provisions that would enable the government to either increase or decrease the amount of liability of any operator.

CPI (M) politburo member Sitaram Yechury said: "At the introduction itself we will oppose unless the government assures us that it would be sent to a Parliamentary Standing Committee. All these issues are there and we will discuss all that in the standing committee."  

The BJP is also understood to have expressed concern over the Rs 300 crore limit in the liability of the nuclear power plant operator.

The government is keen on getting the Bill passed in the ongoing budget session itself and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon had met BJP leader Arun Jaitley to brief him about the Bill.

The operator would not be liable for any nuclear damage if the incident was caused by "grave national disaster of exceptional character", armed conflict or act of terrorism and suffered by person on account of his own negligence, according to the draft legislation. (ANI)