America wants Delhi to suitably amend n-liability bill

Washington: Initial suspicions that the innumerable flip-flops described by the UPA coalition government at Delhi in trying to ram its version of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010 down the parliament's throat was in a bid to keep the susceptibilities of American equipment suppliers in mind is now more than confirmed with a US State Department spokesman confessing that Washington is indeed looking to the government in Delhi to make suitable adjustments to the bill in order to bring it more in line with international norms. Such norms devolve all liability on the plant operator in the case of a nuclear disaster.

In a clumsy bid to deflect its own commercial interests in the matter the US State Department spokesperson referred to ''concerns'' reflected by ''Indian business leaders'' on provisions as now enshrined in the Bill.

"We continue our discussions with the Indian Government on this issue and we note that Indian business leaders are concerned about some specific aspects of the law that was just passed by Parliament," spokesperson PJ Crowley said.

"We will look to the Indian Government to see what changes can be made," Crowley told reporters in response to a question that US business was not happy about the law in its present form.  He was responding to questions at his daily briefing.

The Bill was adopted by the Indian Parliament on 30 August with the government insisting that it was still open to accommodate suggestions.

US officials have so far maintained a studied silence on the liability legislation, which is a crucial instrument enabling full implementation of the landmark India-US civil nuclear deal. Its breakthrough component, which for the first time anywhere in the world makes equipment suppliers directly liable in the event of a disaster, has upset American firms hoping to do business with the Indian nuclear industry.