New Delhi, August 31: The Civil Liability for Nuclear Damages Bill saw a smooth passage in the Rajya Sabha on Monday, clearing one of the last hurdles in India’s entry into international nuclear commerce.
As expected, the Left parties opposed the Bill but with the Congress and BJP supporting it, the legislation was passed with a voice vote. The Bill had already been cleared by the Lok Sabha last week.
The legislation, which seeks to establish a liability framework in the country in the event of a nuclear accident, was one of the preconditions for foreign manufacturers of nuclear reactors to start doing business with India.
The debate in the Rajya Sabha was conducted amidst a remarkable bonhomie between the ruling and the Opposition members. It was only the Left parties that livened up the debate a bit, moving in several amendments, all of which were defeated. On one occasion, CPM member Sitaram Yechury even pressed for a vote on one of his amendments. It was defeated by 123 to 23 votes.
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh sat through the entire debate that continued for over four and a half hours, but unlike in the LS he did not make any intervention.
Earlier, Leader of Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said the government need not be unduly worried about some of the perceived tough provisions in the legislation. “When India goes to the market and says it wants to buy 40 reactors or more at some stage, the character of the market is also going to alter. It is no longer going to be a sellers’ market, it will also be a buyers’ market. And in a buyers’ market regime, the possibility of us getting fairer terms as a condition of bargain will be much higher.”
——–Agencies