According to Indian nuclear liability law, foreign suppliers will have to bear a significant share
File picture of Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. (Photo: DC/File)
New Delhi: India on Thursday said the nuclear operator will not have to bear the brunt in case of a disaster, thereby indicating that foreign nuclear suppliers will have to bear a significant share of the liability. Ministry of external affairs (MEA) spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said, “the question does not arise that operators will bear the brunt”. The state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) has the responsibility of operating nuclear reactors in the country.
The Congress has been demanding that the government should make public the details of the understanding reached with the US on the civil nuclear deal. Some independent commentators had alleged that the liability may have been entirely passed on to the operator. When questioned about the understanding reached on the deal with the US during President Barack Obama’s visit last month, the government maintained that nothing has been done outside the “four corners of the Indian law”.
“Let me assure you that when we arrived at the understanding with the US, we did so within the four corners of our law, international practice and our own bilateral agreement that we have agreed to” he said.
He also noted that the government will come out with a detailed response or ‘FAQ’ (frequently asked questions) soon in the matter which needs to be legally checked first.
Noting that the impact on the operator was “very small” as per the international liability risk management, the spokesperson asserted, “the question does not arise that the operator will bear the brunt of the cost because that is not an international practice and that is not what India will follow.”
Immediately after India and the US announced breakthrough in the seven-year-old nuclear logjam after the talks between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Obama on January 25, questions were raised about the assurance given by the Indian side on the contentious liability issue, which had been a major concern of the US companies.
After India had passed domestic nuclear liability law in 2010, the foreign suppliers of nuclear reactors including the US had expressed concerns over what they interpreted as unlimited financial burden under the legislation.
( Source : dc correspondent )
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