N-deal bill to strengthen India's point of view

An influential panel of United States lawmakers will on Tuesday take up for fine tuning the legislation that will exempt India from certain requirements of the US Atomic Energy Act of 1954 as part of the civilian nuclear agreement between the two nations.

Observers are optimistic that the bill will strengthen India's point of view in the landmark deal and that the House International Committee, which will take up the bill, will not dilute it.

Officials feel that non-operative references in the legislation will only go to strengthen India's point of view and perceptions as the bill will be India-specific and the legislation is in the national security interests of America.

• Coverage: The Indo-US Nuclear Tango

The 'mark up' legislation, aimed at exempting US exports of nuclear material, equipment and technology to India from certain requirements of the 1954 Atomic Energy Act, will be taken up by the Senate Foreign Relations Committee June 27.

The House Committee will have as its base the bipartisan Hyde-Lantos Bill that is said to incorporate the original administration version.

Officials say there will be a 'lot of language' on issues such as centrality of non-proliferation regimes and how the non-proliferation treaty is the 'fulcrum' of the regimes.

At the same time, there will also be specific references to criteria automatically ruling out the legislation being extended to countries such as Pakistan, they said.

The statement of policy in the bill will be 'virtually consistent' with the July 18, 2005 statement, said a senior source.