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Singh was replying to a discussion in the Lok Sabha, in which the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (Peace) Bill was passed by voice vote amid the opposition’s walkout.
The opposition argued that the government was harming citizens by allowing suppliers of nuclear equipment to escape the scope of liability 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 who oversees the Department of Atomic Energy, told the Lok Sabha.
He said operator liability has been rationalized through hierarchical limits linked to reactor size to encourage new technologies such as small modular reactors.
The minister said the bill seeks to ensure full compensation to the affected persons through a multi-tier mechanism.
“This includes operator obligations, a proposed nuclear liability fund supported by the government and additional international compensation through India’s participation in the Convention on Supplementary Compensation,” Singh said.
The minister said that “supplier” under the CLND law has a very broad definition which bars suppliers from participating in India’s civil nuclear sector.
“Everyone was hesitant to come forward. It became an endless chain resulting in a silent fear among the suppliers and we lost cooperation for the last 10 years,” Singh said.
The minister said the bill aims to modernize India’s nuclear infrastructure in line with contemporary technological, economic and energy realities, while also retaining and strengthening the core safety, security and regulatory safeguards that have been in place since the Atomic Energy Act of 1962. The minister called the bill a “landmark legislation” that will give a new direction to the country’s development journey.
Singh said, “India’s role in geopolitics is increasing. If we have to become a global player, we have to follow global standards and global strategies. The world is moving towards clean energy. We have also set a target of 100 GW nuclear power capacity by 2047.”
He said the Bill was necessary to meet India’s growing energy needs and increase the share of nuclear energy in the energy mix to 10%.
The opposition Congress highlighted concerns over several provisions of the bill and urged the government to refer it to a parliamentary committee for detailed scrutiny.
Congress member Manish Tewari opposed the bill, arguing that removing the clause removing liability on suppliers of nuclear equipment would prove detrimental to India in the event of a nuclear incident.
He opposed provisions in the bill to repeal the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010.
The minister argued that the Peace Bill is not a new law but consists of 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 were already in place,” Singh said.
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The minister said the peace bill also provides for giving statutory status to the regional regulator Atomic Energy Regulatory Board, which was established under an executive order.
Singh said safety norms, safety controls on fissile material, spent fuel and heavy water and periodic inspections remain under government surveillance regardless of private involvement.
The minister said the bill also has a provision to set up an Atomic Energy Redressal Council to settle disputes without going to court.