Date:13/09/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/09/13/stories/2007091359261000.htm

National

“Only hard work will propel India”

Special Correspondent

Nuclear agreement will be detrimental to the country, says Yashwant Sinha

Nuclear deal with U.S. is “worse” than the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty
Country gets more electricity from wind energy than from nuclear power

— Photo: M. Vedhan

FOR ALTERNATIVE SOURCE: BJP vice-president Yashwant Sinha addressing a meeting on the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal in Chennai on Wednesday.

CHENNAI: India will emerge as a great nation on the basis of the hard work of its people and not with the help of any other country, including the U.S., BJP vice-president Yashwant Sinha said on Wednesday.

The nuclear agreement would be detrimental to the country. India would not be able to conduct nuclear tests in future; its foreign policy would have to be in line with that of the U.S.; and its nuclear facilities would be subject to “very intrusive” inspection by international inspectors, he said, speaking on “The impact of the Indo-U.S. nuclear deal,” at a meeting organised by the Rotary Clubs of Regions 1 and 3.

Terming the agreement “worse than the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty,” Mr. Sinha regretted that the deal had been struck just for getting 20,000 MW of power in the next 13- 15 years. As under the agreement reactors would be imported, it would cost Rs.10 crore per MW. If only a part of the staggering sum was spent on projects in the Himalayan regions, more power could be generated, he said.

Mr. Sinha did not agree with the argument that India could become energy-surplus nation only with the help of nuclear power: the country got more electricity from wind energy than from nuclear power, he said. India had a rich scientific manpower which had given a world-class technology for nuclear reactors. Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Meghalaya boasted of uranium reserves. There were reports about reserves in Ladakh too. At present, uranium was mined only in Jharkhand. Recently, the Union Government had announced a proposal to mine uranium in Andhra Pradesh. The existing resources, he said, should be fully exploited to meet the energy needs instead of going in for the nuclear deal with the U.S.

Mr. Sinha said the future of the Congress-led government was at stake on this issue. Answering a question on the chances of mid-term polls due to the differences on the issue, he said the elections were possible.