'Indo-US Nuclear Pact will not benefit country'

Bangalore, Aug 21: Renowned material Scientist Placid Rodrigues today said that the Indo-US nuclear pact will not benefit the country in the long run though it might bring in some short term gains.

Dr Rodrigues, who was one of the scientists who had opposed any modification by the US to the original pact framed on July 18 last year said ''the importace of the deal was that we will get immediate supply of Uranium, baddly needed by our Reactors, fully depended on Uranium'' he added on the sidelines of the Bram Prakash Memorial Lecure of the Indian institute of Metals delivered by Dr S Banerjee, Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre.

Referring to the third phase of the Indian nuclear power policy which depended on Thorium which was a distant technology and hence the Indo US nuclear deal would not benefit the country in the long run, he added.

He said the main idea of the US was to force India sign the Non-proliferation Treaty, which the country had been opposing consistently.

"Just by signing the deal it does not mean that we get Uranium and can solve our power problem. For each Mega Watt of power generation through Nuclear route there is need of Rs 6 Crore, besides the light water reactors need heavy Steel products which other than Russia only Japan can supply. already there is queue for steel coolers in Japan. Even US has placed order in advance" he added.

Dr Rodrigues said that the US had no experience of building Nuclear Reactors for over three decades now. during last two generations it has not built even a single reactor and if it wanted to build a Nuclear reactor only Indian Scientists has to go their and work like Indian IT personnels working there, he added.

Dr Banerjee declined to comment on the deal, however said ''we are not ready to forego our technology''. 'If we get something, its good. We have indigenously developed feeders and heavy water reactors which can be developed to meet our energy needs'' he added.

UNI

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