Don't seek IAEA nod to draft safeguards: Scientists to Govt

Mumbai, Jul 19 (PTI) Nuclear scientists opposed
Indo-US civil nuclear deal Friday asking the government not to
proceed to seek International Atomic Energy Agency (I.A.E.A.)
Board's approval for the current draft safeguards agreement
until its implications were fully debated within the country.

There are many key safeguards-related issues of
crucial importance which have not been addressed or adequately
handled in the current draft, they said in an appeal to
members of Parliament four days ahead of the trust vote the
government faces in Lok Sabha.

"We are of the strong opinion that the government
should not proceed to seek I.A.E.A. Board's approval for the
current draft safeguards agreement until its implications are
fully debated by a group of experts who are not party to the
I.A.E.A. negotiations," said the appeal released here today.

"We, therefore, appeal to the members of the Lok Sabha
to direct the Government not to proceed further with the
current safeguards agreement."

"The MPs should ask the Prime Minister to initiate
wide-ranging and structured deliberations on the nuclear
agreement both within and outside Parliament to develop a
broad consensus among political parties and general public
before proceeding any further," they said.

The appeal has been signed by P K Iyengar, former
Chairman of Atomic Energy Commission, A Gopalakrishnan, ex-
Chairman, Atomic Energy Regulatory Board and A N Prasad,
former Director of Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (B.A.R.C.)
here.

Once the deal is in place, India's commercial nuclear
interactions with the US, as well as with any other country,
will be firmly controlled from Washington via the stipulations
of the Hyde Act, enforced through the stranglehold the U.S.
retains on the Nuclear Suppliers Group, the scientists noted.

They said there are also doubts over I.A.E.A.
safeguards agreement being "India-specific".

"It is distinctly clear from the Hyde Act and the 123
Agreement that no uninterrupted fuel supplies have been
guaranteed in these documents for reactors which India will
place under safeguards. The government had earlier assured
this defect will be corrected in the safeguards agreement,"
the scientists remarked.

They said they had earlier written to Parliamentarians
on this matter and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had given
them opportunity to meet him and listen to their views.

The government was enthusiastically pushing the deal
on the basis that it would bring energy security since it will
enable the import of foreign nuclear power reactors.

But analysts have convincingly and quantitatively
shown that this additional power will come at a much higher
cost compared to conventional coal or hydro power which India
can generate without any import, they said.

"The real issue facing India, therefore, is whether we
want this mythical 'energy security' by paying extra cost,
bearing additional burden of subjugating the freedom to pursue
an independent foreign policy and indigenous nuclear R&D
programme."

Since the I.A.E.A. was all along known to be no fuel
supply guarantor, it is not surprising that Indian negotiators
have failed to obtain any assurance in this regard, the
scientists said.

"All that the I.A.E.A. agreement states in its
preamble is it notes that uninterrupted fuel supply and support
for a strategic fuel reserve is the basis of placing Indian
facilities in safeguards."

"It places no obligation on the I.A.E.A. other than
merely noting this. The corrective measures, indicated in the
preambular section, have nothing that anchors them to any
section in the operative part of the agreement", said the
scientists.

Against such "unspecified" and "vague" mention of
corrective measures, India's obligations are clear and
binding. In effect, New Delhi has agreed to place its nuclear
facilities under perpetual safeguards without any link to an
uninterrupted fuel supply, the scientists said.

The government is saying the I.A.E.A. safeguards have
"provisions for corrective measures" that India may take to
ensure uninterrupted operation of its civilian nuclear
reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel supplies.

But "the nation would like to know clearly what these
"corrective measures" are before going ahead with the deal",
said the scientists.

Another key provision is India beig merely allowed to
withdraw the Indian-built civilian pressurised heavy water
reactors (PHWRs) from safeguards and that too after stripping
them of spent and fresh fuel and components of foreign origin.

"This is no corrective step at all because such action
does not ensure uninterruptd operation of these civilian
nuclear reactors in the event of disruption of foreign fuel
supplies," the scientists noted. PTI LV
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