Parliament Discusses SHANTI Bill, Opposition Questions Opening Up Nuclear Sector

The Lok Sabha, on Wednesday, took up discussion on the nuclear energy bill after Jitendra Singh, the Minister of State in the PMO, moved the Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill, which seeks to open the tightly-controlled civil nuclear sector for private participation.

As Singh asserted that it would help India achieve its target of 100 GW atomic energy generation by 2047, the opposition questioned the dilution of certain clauses of the draft legislation.

The Union minister termed the bill a "milestone legislation" that will give a new direction to the country's developmental journey.

"India's role in geopolitics is increasing. If we have 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 energy capacity by 2047," Singh said.

Congress MP Manish Tewari opposed the bill, contending that the removal of the clause removing liability on suppliers of nuclear equipment would prove to be harmful for India in case of a nuclear incident.

He opposed the provisions in the bill for the repeal of the Atomic Energy Act of 1962 and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Act of 2010.

Tewari said the bill does not provide for a framework for handling radioactive waste and seeks to prioritise uranium-based reactors at the cost of thorium reactors and molten salt reactors, which form the mainstay of India's three-stage nuclear programme.

The Congress member demanded that the bill be referred to a Joint Committee of Parliament for careful examination before being presented in the House for passage.

Trinamool Congress MP Saugata Ray also opposed the bill, saying that it seeks to give an entry into the nuclear energy space for major players in India. DMK MP Arun Nehru pointed out that the Bill’s title is an oxymoron, and highlighted the disadvantages of allowing the private sector to enter such sensitive fields.

Congress MP Shashi Tharoor also pointed out a provision in the bill which allows the government to exempt any plant from license or liability if the risk is insignificant. He mentioned how that can create an exploitable loophole through which any facility can escape oversight if the government deemed it convenient.

(With inputs from PTI)