Bhopal effect: N-liability bill remains undiluted

NEW DELHI: Reeling under the blowback of the Bhopal gas tragedy verdict, the government on Tuesday withdrew a set of "official amendments" to the nuclear liability for civil damage bill which were seen to dilute accountability of foreign suppliers and restrict legal options of victims.

The meeting of the standing committee on science, technology and environment on Tuesday saw MPs taking government representatives to task on five amendments put before the panel.

The most significant amendment sought was the proposed deletion of section 17(b) which deals with the right of an operator to pursue a foreign supplier for "gross negligence". Though Section 17(a) states that the operator’s right to recourse would be part of any contract, the move to do away with the particular reference to foreign suppliers faced stiff opposition.

Faced with a volley of questions from Opposition MPs, Srikumar Banerjee, secretary of atomic energy, said the amendments were a mistake and should not have been put up before the committee.