AEC Chairman wants assured fuel supply from US

Mumbai, Dec 5: Atomic Energy Commission Chairman Anil Kakodkar today took a tough stand on fuel supply in the backdrop of the India US nuclear deal, saying that there should be an assurance of continuous fuel supply from washington after the deal was implemented.

In an interaction with reporters here after the inauguration of an international symposium on materials chemistry at Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Dr Kakodkar said he had told top US business delegation recently that the Tarapur experience should not be repeated.

It may be recalled that in 1974, the US withdrew fuel supply to First and Second units of American-aided Tarapur Atomic power plant after India conducted the first nuclear weapon test at Pokhran.

''I see there is a clear contradiction between section 114 of the US Senate Bill and the multilateral fuel supply under the separation and this issue has to be resolved,'' he said.

Dr Kakodkar said while section 114 talks of reasonable fuel supply, separation plan speaks of assured supply and these two contradictory statements have to be resolved.

''I am sure the forthcoming reconciliation conference will address these issues,'' Dr Kakodkar said.

When asked if New Delhi had registered its concern with Washington regarding section 114/115 in the Senate Bill, Dr Kakodkar said they might have done it.

The business delegation wanted to hold discussion on an assumption that the deal will be fructified. ''I told them all our concerns have to be addressed first,'' he said.

When asked whether the Department of Atomic Energy was sidelined in the deal, he said they were very much there and the discussion has to be routed through diplomatic channels and there are different layers.

UNI