India-US nuclear deal to widen energy options: PM

New Delhi, Aug 17: Strongly supporting the India-US nuclear deal, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh today said the move would widen the country's energy options and reduce its depleting hydro-carbons dependence that may see crude oil touch 200 dollars a barrel soon.

The India-US nuclear deal is all about ''widening human choices'', the Prime Minister said in his reply in the Rajya Sabha to the short-duration discussion on the nuclear agreement.

The Prime Minister said the primary motivation of the deal was energy, and defence came much later.

He said the conventional sources of energy like oil and coal were also hazardous to the environment, apart from being non-renewable.

The PM said if India's economy has to grow at 8-10 per cent'' we have to take care of the growing energy needs''. Although nuclear energy will not answer all the problems, it would give a wider energy option, the PM reiterated.

He said the nuclear energy option was the right answer as it would give a greater degree of security to the country.

UNI

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