The Left parties on Friday submitted a note on the controversial Hyde Act to external affairs minister Pranab Mukherjee. In the note, the Left allies have pointed out the impact of the Act on the 123 agreement and on India?s indigenous nuclear research activities. The government?s reply to the note, which is expected to be a highly technical content, will come to the Left parties by September 17.
Sources in the Left told FE that the note questioned the government?s argument that nuclear energy is very important for India?s future needs. The Left parties have argued that the nuclear power plants are 30% more expensive than other sources of energy. The note also says that as it takes a lot of years to build reactors and to produce power, a lot of money will be ?locked up?. The parties said with the money to put up a 10,000-mw imported nuclear plants, the country could set up 30,000 mw of ?coal-fired power plants.?
The Left parties reiterated that the Hyde Act has all its influence on the 123 agreement and some of the clauses of it can impede India?s indigenous nuclear research programmes.
