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India's strategic programme not subject to int'l scrutiny: PM

IRNA - Islamic Republic News Agency

New Delhi, Dec 18, IRNA
India-US-N-Deal-PM
Indian Prime Minister, Dr. Manmohan Singh today clarified that India's strategic programme will not be subject to any international scrutiny and will respond to our own decisions.

"Our strategic programme will respond to our own decisions and not be subject to any international scrutiny.

The content and scope of the strategic programme was not discussed with the US or any other country, he said while intervening in a debate on the Indo-US nuclear deal in Lok Sabha (Lower House of Indian Parliament).

Singh assured the house that the agreement will not hurt policy of the Department of Atomic Energy in pursuing research and development.

I can assure the house that I stand by that commitment, he said.

Singh asserted that the objectives of 1970s of the Atomic Energy Commission, of which he was a member, had not materialised.

He said since 1970, only 3600 MW of power from nuclear energy had been generated.

I am not saying that nuclear power is the panacea for our energy, Singh said adding the deal will help in augmenting the nuclear power capacity.

The Prime Minister, who last week returned from a visit to Japan, said there was enormous enthusiasm in that country about India's development.

He said till yesterday, India was looked as a pariah in the nuclear order. Today, the country has a place in it and there was a tremendous transformation in the world view of this country.

Many countries, he contended, were willing to readily recognise India as a nuclear weapon state.

Singh assured the house that government was committed to its promise of not allowing any extraneous or intrusive inspections of its nuclear facilities.

The US government has assured India that it will fulfil the commitments it has made on July 18, 2005 and March 2, 2006, he said.

Whether these will be implemented will depend on the 123 agreement which is to be negotiated, he added.

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