The UPA-Left committee on the Indo-US civil nuclear deal is likely to meet on May 5 to deliberate on whether India should go ahead with signing the safeguards agreement with International Atomic Energy Agency. The date was tentatively decided during consultations between External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee and Left leaders, sources told PTI on Thursday.
The committee last met on March 17 when the government shared with Left parties the draft safeguards agreement reached with IAEA in February. The committee, set up last year to resolve differences between the government and Left allies over the nuclear deal, is expected to deliberate at the upcoming meeting whether or not India should sign the safeguards agreement with IAEA.
At the last meeting, the Left parties had conveyed that they would study the agreement and spell out their position when the committee meets again. The Left parties, after going through the draft agreement, have already made it clear that they stand by their objections to operationalisation of the nuclear deal. The nod of the Left parties is crucial for the government to go ahead with implementation of the nuclear deal as they have warned against taking any steps in this direction without their approval of the agreement with IAEA.
Firming up of the safeguards agreement with IAEA is a key step in the implementation of the nuclear deal with the US. India had concluded talks with IAEA on a specific draft safeguards agreement in the last week of February, more than three months after it began the process.