Nuke Deal to cost country dearly: Dasgupta

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 26 (UNI) CPI leader and AITUC General Secretary Gurudas Dasgupta today alleged that the Indo-US Nuclear Agreement will cost the country dearly and not help to enhance its energy security.

Addressing newspersons here, Mr Dasgupta said the government remained ''mischievously silent'' on the financial implications and the assessment of experts was that the total cost by way of the Agreement to the country would be to the tune of Rs 10 lakh crore.

Stating that the Centre was moving ahead to operationalise the Deal without any scientific assessment of cost analysis, he dared the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance Government to reveal the financial implications of the Deal.

Pointing out that it would be ''irrational and unjustifiable'' to cast such a huge burden on the country, he said the quantum of additional power to be generated as result of the Agreement would not be more than six to seven per cent of the total requirement by 2020.

The only agenda of the Manmohan Singh Government was to ''take India closer to America,'' he said.

When asked what would be the option for the Left parties if the stand-off over the Deal continued unresolved, he said ''we would go to the people.'' UNI PN RKM HT1842