India simply can't ignore nuclear power: PM

Prime Minister Manmohan Singh on Wednesday described the Nuclear Liability Bill as completion of journey to end apartheid against India in the field of atomic power and rejected allegations that the proposed legislation was designed to benefit American interests.

Making an intervention during the debate on the bill in the Lok Sabha, Dr Singh asserted that atomic power was the "viable" option, which could not be ignored and the legislation would enable India to widen this option by undertaking nuclear commerce with the world.

"I categorically state that this bill is a completion of journey to end the nuclear apartheid which the world had imposed on India," he said as he sought "unanimous" support for the bill in the House.

On allegations that the bill was aimed at benefiting US companies, Dr Singh said: "To say that this has been brought to promote American interests, to promote American corporations, I think, this is far from the truth."

He said such charges against him were not new, as he had faced these even in 1992 when he presented the Budget as the then Finance Minister.

Pointing out that senior BJP leader L K Advani was aware of it, Dr Singh said the whole opposition, with a few exceptions, demanded his impeachment claiming that the budget had been prepared in the US.

"To say we have anyway compromised India's national interest will be a travesty of facts," Dr Singh said apparently addressing the Left parties, which have alleged that the bill had been drafted to suit American companies.

"History will be the judge," the Prime Minister said as he pointed to the economic reforms initiated in 1991 when he was the Finance Minister.

He said it had contributed to making the country "what Jaswant Singhji called as resurgent India".

Referring to questions as to whether nuclear power is a viable option,

the Prime Minister said it is the preferred option as it is clean.

"What the government has done is to create more opportunities to meet such options," he said noting that hydel and coal offer limited options as there were concerns regarding climate change.

"Nuclear power is an option which we should simply not ignore," Dr Singh said.

He said technology is not constant and was moving fast. "I cannot predict what future holds for us."

Noting that the government was doing "everything" to ensure safety of nuclear plants, Dr Singh said utilisation of nuclear energy was a serious issue that could not be ignored.     

"I do agree with Jaswant Singhji that utilisation of nuclear energy is a serious issue and it cannot be ignored. Therefore, all actions leading to use of nuclear energy should be done with utmost care. I fully share his concern," he said.

Noting that Atomic Energy Regulation Board (AERB), an independent entity was seized of the safety issues, Dr Singh said India had 40 reactors without a single accident, which was "a testimony" to the scientists' abilities.

"If nuclear energy is a viable option, India must be able to use it. Development is the act of widening the development options that are open to the country. Beyond coal and hydel energy, nuclear energy is the option," he said.

The prime minister said the UPA government had pursued the bill with determination, but the process of having a civil nuclear deal with the US was started in 1999, he said without naming the NDA that was in power then.

He said he had gone through the files of the Atomic Energy Commission and found that lots of scientists had concluded that India needed nuclear energy. "We were not in power then. But we (UPA government) signed the Memorandum of Understanding (later). This will not in any way compromise India's interest," he added.