Significant changes envisaged in N-liability Bill

New Delhi:  With a compromise settlement possibly being reached between the ruling UPA coalition at the centre and the principal opposition party, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), over provisions related to compensations and liabilities in the proposed Nuclear Liability Bill, a newly drafted version may look much changed from its earlier avatar when finally presented for approval before members of the two houses of the Parliament.

The Standing Committee for Science and Technology, charged with the business of finalising provisions for the Bill, has now been given a one-week extension in which to finalise its recommendations on the legislation, incorporating suggestions and taking on board all significant objections of the opposition parties.

Very likely, the reworked provisions related to claims will be considerably altered with the period allowed for filing claims being enhanced from 10 to 20 years.

It was argued before the Standing Committee on Science and Technology, which is tasked with thrashing out the provisions of the bill, that claims need to be computed from the time and date when cause of action for such compensation arose first i.e. when the injury became manifest, rather than from the date of the nuclear accident.

Some countries, quite sensibly, have put a 20-year time limitation for claims. Others such as Russia, Ukraine and the Czech Republic have an even longer time frame of 30 years.

Also, considerably changed will be the definition of the term ''damage to property,'' which will now be widened to include damage to plants, animal and aquatic life.