'India cannot afford to miss global nuclear bus'

Mumbai, Aug 31: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Friday asserted that India cannot afford to miss the developments taking place the world over in the field of harnessing energy from nuclear technology. Dedicating the two nuclear power reactors Units 3 and 4 of India"s 540 MWe nuclear power plant at Tarapur to the nation, Singh said: “There is today talk the world over of a nuclear renaissance, and we cannot afford to miss the bus or lag behind these global developments."

Singh defended the quest for nuclear energy as the country"s long term strategic energy goal on three counts. First, the depleting natural reserve of coal, gas and petroleum. Secondly, the country does not have many choices in selecting the energy source and lastly, the nuclear energy is affordable not only financially but also in terms of the cost to the environment.

Without referring directly to the Indo-US nuclear deal that has seen ballistic opposition from the Left and the Opposition BJP, the Prime Minister defended the steps required to be taken for operationalising the deal by saying that the “international cooperation" would open the gate for India"s nuclear commerce with 45-member Nuclear Suppliers" Group, thereby ending the country"s “nuclear isolation" of the past few decades.

“This cooperation will not be dependent on any one country, and we will source supplies from many of the countries in the Nuclear Suppliers Group including the United States, Russia and France," Singh said.

Speaking a day after the government agreed with the Left parties, which provides crucial support to the ruling UPA coalition, to set up a high-level committee to review the accord before initiating the next step towards operationalisng the nuclear deal, Singh said that the NSG would amend its charter in India"s favour only when safeguard agreement with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is finalised.

The Left leaders demanding the review of the impact of the US Hyde Act on the bilateral 123- agreement has called for halting the talks with IAEA for India-specific safeguard agreement as it is the next logical step towards operationalising the nuke deal.

“The NSG itself has made it clear that they will not do so till the India specific Safeguards Agreement with the IAEA is finalized," Singh said today.

“India is now too important a country to remain outside the international mainstream in this critical area," he added.

Singh also expressed confidence that the nuclear scientists of the country would be able to enhance country"s indigenous nuclear capabilities once the “iniquitous restrictions and shackles" on country"s nuclear programme

“A strong nuclear energy programme is in our vital interest and is important for our scientific development, energy needs and security. It will add to our capabilities and strength as a nation," Singh asserted.

Apart from the negotiations with the IAEA for India-specific safeguard agreement, two more steps exist before the operationlisation of the nuclear deal with the US that include amendment in the NSG charter for nuclear commerce with India since New Delhi is not a signatory of Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty (NPT), which will be followed by the US Congress passing the text of the 123-agreement.

ANI>