'Dangerous leap': Opposition flags risks as ruling MPs back private push in nuclear energy Bill
NEW DELHI: The Lok Sabha on Wednesday witnessed a sharply divided debate on the governments Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India (SHANTI) Bill. Opposition parties warned that it opens the door to risky privatisation of a sensitive sector, while ruling coalition MPs strongly defended the legislation as essential for energy security, investment and long-term growth. Leading the Opposition charge, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor described the Bill as a dangerous leap into privatised nuclear expansion undertaken without adequate safeguards. We cannot allow the pursuit of capital to override the non-negotiable requirements of public safety, environmental protection and victim justice, he said and added that the legislation was heavy on discretion, full of loopholes and largely indifferent to public welfare. Questioning the clarity of the proposed law, Tharoor remarked: I am not sure whether it is a nuclear bill or an unclear bill. He cautioned that describing nuclear power as 'clean and abundant' was 'dangerously misleading,' given the risks of radioactive leaks, long-lived waste and catastrophic accidents. The full life cycle of nuclear fuel-- from mining to waste disposal -- is neither clean nor sustainable, he said. Tharoor also aimed for provisions allowing wide private participation across the nuclear fuel cycle. This effectively opens up the entire nuclear-energy sector -- from mining to waste management -- to private actors with indeterminable qualification criteria, he argued, warning that concentration of control in profit-driven entities could heighten systemic risk exponentially. On liability, he said the proposed cap of around USD 460 million was wholly inadequate. Fukushima has already cost over USD 182 billion. Chernobyl exceeded USD 700 billion. Yet we propose to cap liability at less than half a billion dollars? This is not a safety net; it is a trapdoor for victims, Tharoor said, urging the government to send the Bill to a Joint Parliamentary Committee. Several opposition MPs echoed these concerns. HIGHLIGHTS| Winter Session Day 13: Both houses adjourned, LS passes SHANTI Bill amid Opposition walkout Samajwadi Partys Aditya Yadav alleged the bill was designed to welcome US and French firms, ignoring national interest, while TMCs Saugata Roy called nuclear power a risky proposition and demanded a higher liability cap. DMKs Arun Nehru termed the Bills name SHANTI an oxymoron, citing past nuclear disasters, and NCP leader Supriya Sule questioned granting immunity to private suppliers. Ruling party MPs, however, mounted a strong defence of the legislation. BJP MP Shashank Mani said the Bill, brought under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, would benefit every Indian by making the country energy-sufficient. It will facilitate government and private investment in the nuclear sector, generate employment and protect the environment, he said, adding that the United States meets about 30 per cent of its energy needs from nuclear power, with most of it produced by the private sector. Mani also praised the allocation of Rs 20,000 crore for Small Modular Reactors in the latest Budget, saying the Bill would create modern infrastructure and ensure plants are built in line with international safety standards. NDA allies broadly supported the Bill while suggesting refinements. JD(U) MP Alok Kumar Suman said the legislation would help provide 24-hour power and increase nuclear energy production tenfold, though he called for greater attention to radioactive waste management and a higher liability limit of USD 400500 million. TDP MP Krishna Prasad Tenneti said nuclear power accounts for just 3 per cent of Indias electricity compared with over 50 per cent in a few countries. This Bill will facilitate long-term investment and innovation while maintaining sovereignty, he said.
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