Singh responded with a voice vote to a discussion in the Lok Sabha that passed the Sustainable Utilization and Promotion of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill amid an opposition strike.
The opposition claimed that the government is harming citizens by allowing nuclear equipment suppliers to escape the liability net in the event of a nuclear accident.
“The government will only deal with the operator, it is up to the operator to deal with the supplier,” Singh, the minister of state in the PMO, which oversees the Ministry of Atomic Energy, told the Lok Sabha.
He said operator liability has been rationalized through graduated ceilings linked to reactor size to encourage newer technologies such as small modular reactors.
The minister said the bill aims to ensure full compensation for affected persons through a multi-layered mechanism.
“This includes operator liability, a proposed Nuclear Liability Fund backed by the government, and additional international compensation through India’s participation in the Convention on Supplementary Compensation,” Singh said.
The minister said ‘supplier’ was a very broad definition under the CLND Act, which barred suppliers from participating in India’s civil nuclear sector.
“Everyone was hesitant to come forward. This became a never-ending chain, resulting in a silent phobia among suppliers and we have been missing out on collaboration for the past decade,” Singh said.
The minister said the bill aims to modernize India’s nuclear framework in line with today’s technological, economic and energy realities, while preserving and strengthening the nuclear safety, security and regulatory safeguards in place since the Atomic Energy Act, 1962.
The minister termed the bill as a “landmark legislation” that will set a new direction for the country’s development journey.
“India’s role in geopolitics is increasing. If we want to be a global player, we have to follow global benchmarks and global strategies. The world is moving towards clean energy. We too have set a target of 100 GW of nuclear power capacity by 2047,” Singh said.
He said the bill was necessary to meet India’s growing energy needs and increase the share of nuclear power to 10 percent of the energy mix.
The Opposition Congress has raised concerns over several provisions of the bill and urged the government to refer it to a parliamentary committee for a threadbare inquiry.
Congressman Manish Tewari opposed the bill, arguing that omitting the clause eliminating liability of nuclear equipment suppliers would prove detrimental to India in the event of a nuclear incident.
He opposed the bill’s provisions to repeal the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010.
The minister argued that the SHANTI bill was not new legislation, but included amendments to two laws: the Atomic Energy Act of 1992 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010.
“Most parts of the bill already existed,” Singh said.
The minister said the SHANTI bill also aims to grant legal status to the Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, the sectoral regulator, which was established under an executive order.
Singh said safety standards, safeguards on nuclear fuel, spent fuel and heavy water, and periodic inspections remain firmly under government supervision, regardless of private participation.
The minister said the bill also seeks to establish an Atomic Energy Redressal Council for resolving disputes without having to go to court.
– Ends
Tune in
#SHANTI #Bill #Lok #Sabha #nod #Opposition #walks #Parliament