Govt ready to make changes in nuclear liability Bill: Pranab

“We are not trying to put a cap on the liability which the government will have to undertake. The question of government’s liability is being raised only because as of now the government is the owner of the nuclear plants. It is not necessary that this will be the permanent position. Tomorrow,private companies might also come (into the sector),” Mukherjee said at the Idea Exchange programme at The Indian Express.

“The Bill has been referred to a standing committee. I am pretty sure that the members of Parliament will give their inputs (on this Bill) and it will be possible for us to (ensure) that what we have done at the drafting stage,that can be improved substantially,” he said.

The proposed legislation is being opposed by several political parties on the grounds that it caps the liability of the operator at a level that was not consummate to compensate for damages that are likely to be caused by a nuclear accident.

On another contentious piece of legislation,namely the Women’s Reservation Bill,Mukherjee said he was planning to call a meeting of all political parties very soon.

“The first meeting I have already had with them during the last Parliament session. Now during the inter-session period I would like to have another meeting. I do not know what the outcome will be but we shall have to work on it,” he said.

The Finance Minister admitted that there was serious difference of opinion between the political parties over including caste in the census and the Cabinet would soon take a final decision on it.

He,however,sought to allay apprehensions that including caste in the census exercise would automatically translate into a re-working of the reservation system for government jobs and educational sector.