Bush to initiate nuke legislation today

The landmark legislation to implement the Indo-US civil nuclear deal will be signed into law by President George W Bush at the White House on Monday, 18 months after the ball was set rolling.

The ceremony is set for 10.45 a.m. local time (9.15 p.m. IST) and will be attended by lawmakers, senior administration officials and leaders and members of the Indian American community. Mr Bush is expected to make brief remarks before putting his signature to HR 5682 or the Henry J Hyde United States-India Peaceful Atomic Energy Cooperation Act of 2006.

The legislation to facilitate a new and expanded era in bilateral relations between India and the US was passed on the last day of the lame-duck session of the
109th Congress.

with the House of Representatives approving the conference committee report by a thumping margin of 330 votes to 59 and the Senate giving its nod to it by a unanimous consent vote in the early hours of December 9.

Senior Indian scientists, however, have pointed out that the US Bill deviates from the July 18, 2005 and March 2, 2006 joint statements issued by both the countries and asked the government to protect New Delhi’s interests while signing the crucial 123 agreement with Washington.

India’s atomic energy commission chairman Anil Kakodkar has said Prime Minister Manmohan Singh will consult all those “directly or indirectly” involved with the nuclear deal before taking a final decision on it.