India has to pass a Nuclear Liability Bill to activate the Indo-US Nuclear agreement. This liability bill sets a limit on maximum financial liability in case of a nuclear disaster. The liability limit is required for the US nuclear reactor manufacturing companies to get insurance in their home state. Currently the financial limit in the bill is around $500 million, which is causing lot of controversy since a similar limit in US is around $10.5 billion. A parliamentary panel reviewing this bill will visit Kalpakkam to learn about the security and operation of the power plants at Kalpakkam. They are also going to get feedback from the trade unions and the public on this bill. Here is the article from Hindustan Times on the visit. If you are interested in learning more on this bill, here is a link
Members of the Parliamentary panel examining the controversial nuclear liability bill are set to visit a nuclear plant at Kalpakkam to gain first hand experience on operations being carried out at such facilities. The 30-member committee is expected to travel to Kalpakkam near Chennai within a week's time as part of process of examination of the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill 2010. This was decided at a meeting of the members of the Committee chaired by T Subbirami Reddy. During the visit members will review security at the nuclear plants and various processes involved with the operation of the power station.Top officials from state-run Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) are expected to make detailed presentations related to the operations of the nuclear power plant to the members. Seeking to hear diverse opinions on the controversial Bill, the Committee will issue advertisements inviting suggestions on the draft legislation from the people. Such requests would then be scrutinised by the Committee before being allowed to make submissions before it. Industry organisations FICCI and CII made submissions before the Committee and built a strong case for allowing private companies in the nuclear power sector. However, it was clarified to the industry that here was no proposal for allowing private players as major partners in the nuclear power sector but they were welcome as minority stakeholders. The Committee is also expected to hear the views of trade unions of the nuclear power industry.BJP leader Yashwant Sinha was to make submission before the Committee but could not do so as he had to attend a meeting of a Parliamentary panel on Finance of which he is the Chairman. He is now expected to appear before the Committee in the first week of July. The Bill has evoked sharp reactions from across the political spectrum and a united opposition had tried to stall its introduction in the Lok Sabha. At the Committee meeting today, about 15 of the 30 members were present. Experts like former Atomic Energy Commission chairman Anil Kakodkar, Brahma Chellany, Bharat Karnad and retired diplomat Satish Chandra are expected to make submissions before the committee on Thursday.