The Hindu Business Line : No view yet on pvt sector entry into nuclear power generation

Eyeing foray
The Tata Group, Reliance, L&T and the GMR Group are among the companies that, at various times, have expressed interest in investing in this industry.

– K. Venugopal

N-talk: The Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, addressing a press conference on board Air India special aircraft en route to Japan on Monday for the G-8 summit. Behind him are the National Security Advisor, Mr M.K. Narayanan, the PM’s Special Envoy, Mr Shyam Saran, and the Foreign Secretary, Mr Shiv Shankar Menon.

K.Venugopal

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Sapporo, July 7 The Government is yet to take a view on whether it will allow the private sector to set up nuclear power plants once the international civil nuclear cooperation deal is put in place, the Prime Minister, Dr Manmohan Singh, said on Monday.

Answering a question at a press conference en route to the G8 summit meeting in Japan, Dr Singh noted that there were discussions on the subject with the private sector, which had shown an interest in setting up nuclear power plants, but insisted that the Government had not taken any decision yet on that.

“Let us first cross this hurdle (the nuclear deal) and then we will look at the possibility,” the Prime Minister said.

The Tata Group, Reliance, L&T and the GMR Group are among the companies that, at various times, have expressed interest in investing in this industry.

Their participation is contingent on Parliament amending the Atomic Energy Act, under which all activities in this field remain the preserve of Government entities.

All the nuclear power plants in the country are run by the State-owned Nuclear Power Corporation.

Official sources, however, indicated that the spadework had been done for the Bill to amend the Act.

But the Government is expected to move down this road only after it wins the nod for the nuclear deal.