ID :
10539
Sun, 06/22/2008 - 12:56
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Shortlink :
http://m.oananews.org//node/10539
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Govt promoting a 'bad' nuke deal : CPI(M)
New Delhi, Jun 21 (PTI) - The C.P.I.(M) Saturday accused the government of mounting a "massive disinformation campaign" to promote a "bad" nuclear deal, which it said, was only a cover to promote strategic ties with the U.S.
"The Congress leadership and the U.P.A. government are propogating that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal is absolutely essential for India's energy security.
"A massive disinformation campaign has been mounted that nuclear energy is a solution not only to the shortage of electricity in the country but also an answer to the oil price rise. This is nothing but a cover to promote the strategic ties with the U.S.," the C.P.I.(M) Politburo said in a statement here.
It said as it was difficult to promote Indo-U.S. strategic ties directly, "therefore the recourse to false claims that nuclear energy at one stroke (will) reduce not only our oil consumption but also remove our power shortages."
The party also accused the government of "dragging its feet" on the Iran gas pipeline project "at the behest of the U.S. and in consideration of the Hyde Act".
Maintaining that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal was "not about India's energy security", the major Left party said "mythical energy claims are being made in order to promote a bad nuclear deal. Energy is just a cover. The real intent is India-U.S. strategic ties."
The C.P.I.(M) said energy security could be achieved by using indigenous resources, like coal, and "ensuring our future energy supplies from Iran and other countries in West and Central Asia."
The C.P.I.(M) also sought to ridicule government claims that nuclear energy would reduce country's oil consumption.
"Nuclear energy has very little to do with oil -- it cannot be used as a substitute for oil; unless the government experts have found a new way to burn uranium directly in cars and buses," the party statement said.
It claimed that natural gas from Iran would insulate the country substantively from the oil price shocks.
It accused the government of highlighting a temporary shortage of uranium fuel as a permanent one. "The government, either deliberately or a failure of planning, did not invest in expanding the existing uranium mines or opening new mines," it claimed.
"It appears that the spectre of uranium shortage has been created only to push a deal that is not in India's national interest," the C.P.I.(M) statement said.
It claimed that the cost of electricity from nuclear power plants will be more than double that from coal-fired plants.
"The quickest and cheapest way to remove the current electricity shortages is to build coal-fired plants which take half the time required by nuclear power plants.
"Nuclear energy has an important place in India's energy option and this route needs to be kept open for the future. However, this should be based on our indigenous technology and our indigenous resources to ensure energy security," it said.
"The Congress leadership and the U.P.A. government are propogating that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal is absolutely essential for India's energy security.
"A massive disinformation campaign has been mounted that nuclear energy is a solution not only to the shortage of electricity in the country but also an answer to the oil price rise. This is nothing but a cover to promote the strategic ties with the U.S.," the C.P.I.(M) Politburo said in a statement here.
It said as it was difficult to promote Indo-U.S. strategic ties directly, "therefore the recourse to false claims that nuclear energy at one stroke (will) reduce not only our oil consumption but also remove our power shortages."
The party also accused the government of "dragging its feet" on the Iran gas pipeline project "at the behest of the U.S. and in consideration of the Hyde Act".
Maintaining that the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal was "not about India's energy security", the major Left party said "mythical energy claims are being made in order to promote a bad nuclear deal. Energy is just a cover. The real intent is India-U.S. strategic ties."
The C.P.I.(M) said energy security could be achieved by using indigenous resources, like coal, and "ensuring our future energy supplies from Iran and other countries in West and Central Asia."
The C.P.I.(M) also sought to ridicule government claims that nuclear energy would reduce country's oil consumption.
"Nuclear energy has very little to do with oil -- it cannot be used as a substitute for oil; unless the government experts have found a new way to burn uranium directly in cars and buses," the party statement said.
It claimed that natural gas from Iran would insulate the country substantively from the oil price shocks.
It accused the government of highlighting a temporary shortage of uranium fuel as a permanent one. "The government, either deliberately or a failure of planning, did not invest in expanding the existing uranium mines or opening new mines," it claimed.
"It appears that the spectre of uranium shortage has been created only to push a deal that is not in India's national interest," the C.P.I.(M) statement said.
It claimed that the cost of electricity from nuclear power plants will be more than double that from coal-fired plants.
"The quickest and cheapest way to remove the current electricity shortages is to build coal-fired plants which take half the time required by nuclear power plants.
"Nuclear energy has an important place in India's energy option and this route needs to be kept open for the future. However, this should be based on our indigenous technology and our indigenous resources to ensure energy security," it said.
