Cabinet okays Bill for pvt foray in N-power

The Union Cabinet chaired by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday approved the nuclear energy Bill that seeks to introduce legislative amendments for opening up the civil nuclear power sector for private participation, according to sources.

- SUDHEER PAL SINGH & ARCHIS MOHAN

The Bill is likely to pave the way for amending two existing legislations — the Atomic Energy Act 1962, and the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage (CLND) Act 2010 — tweaking the clauses that are believed to be deterring private companies, including foreign technology and equipment suppliers, from participating in the sector.

This is part of the government's efforts for reaching 100 Gigawatt (Gw) nuclear power capacity by 2047. The legislative amendments will also facilitate the implementation of the Nuclear Energy Mission announced by Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman in her Budget speech in February.

The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy (SHANTI) Bill was listed as part of the legislative agenda of the ongoing Parliament session. Union Minister Jitendra Singh had said in Parliament last week that the Bill is at an advanced stage of drafting, and that final comments from ministries are being incorporated.