Minister tighlipped on Indo-US nuke deal

Hyderabad, Oct 15 (UNI) Union Science and Technology Minister Kapil Sibal today stonewalled questions on the fate of Indo-US nuclear deal following the stand off between the United Progressive Alliance and the Left parties.

Parrying all questions from reporters relating to the issue in the wake of UPA-Left meeting last week, he said, ''UPA Chairperson Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh were extremely careful in the use of words in conveying to the people what they wanted.'' ''I do not want to take away anything or add anything more to what they have said,'' he added, referring to the statements of Dr Singh and Ms Gandhi at the HT media summit.

In reply to a question, he said the Union Government would shortly fill all the vacant post of scientists in the Indian Space Research Organisation and other scientific institutions.

Making it clear that nowhere in the world would the government be able to provide salaries on par with the corporates, he said scientists would be rewarded for their innovation. Thirty per cent of royalty for any product patented would be provided to the scientist concerned.

The Government was committed to provide better facilities, including housing for scientists, he said and expressed confidence that scientists with passion for country's progress will stay with Central scientific institutions.

Replying to another question, he said the UPA Government was on the job of ''freeing scientific community from bureaucratic control.'' Asked about the delay in finalisation of projects due to the red tape, Mr Sibal remarked big corporates, like Government institutions, suffer as much because of the red tape.

UNI