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PM's plea to tackle illegal transfer of nuclear technology

He said this after inaugurating various facilities at a function at the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre in Mumbai on its foundation day.

He appealed to the developed nations to dispel any misconception about India's nuclear weapons programme and said that atomic energy in India should be seen as an 'energy of growth and progress and not through the prism of nuclear weapons'

India's objective is to achieve the target of producing 20,000 mega watts of nuclear power, which is the most environment friendly form of energy, by 2020. Vajpayee has invited foreign countries to help Indian achieve its target.

Stating that 'India's nuclear power programme has an entirely different development objective', Vajpayee said that every co-operation project in nuclear power would be open to international safeguards.

Emphasising India's nuclear doctrine of 'minimum credible deterrent,' Vajpayee said 'reasons for India conducting nuclear tests in May 1998 are well known'.

Praising the country's nuclear scientists, he said, "Our nuclear weapons programme was developed indigenously and did not violate any of India's international obligations."

Hitting hard at the developed nations on the Kyoto protocol, Vajpayee said, "It is truly ironic that we are lectured on our moral obligations to clamp down on emissions while being denied international technology co-operation for the alternative, which can achieve this without penalising our development."

He urged Indian scientists and engineers to continue on the path of innovation and invention, which have taken the country's atomic energy programme to this advanced stage.

Vajpayee hoped that the Fast Breeder Reactor could be commercially exploited soon.

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