N-Liability: LS passes bill after Govt drops contentious clause

Ending months of wrangling between treasury benches and opposition, Lok Sabha  passed the civil n-liability bill after government dropped contentious provision of “intent” in case of accidents, adopting a BJP amendment paving the way for nuclear commerce with the world.

 The Civil Liability for the Nuclear Damages Bill, 2010 was adopted by the House by a voice vote after it rejected a CPI(M) amendment that sought to fix the liability cap on operators in case of accidents at Rs.10,000 crore instead of the Rs.1,500 crore proposed in the measure.

The House nod came not before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made a spirited intervention in the four-hour debate rejecting allegations that the bill was brought to advance the interests of the United States and its corporations.