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India: CNDP statement regarding the Govt of India announcement on an independent and autonomous Nuclear Regulatory Authority

by CNDP, 29 April 2011

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CNDP Statement as regards the GoI announcement on an independent
and autonomous Nuclear Regulatory Authority

The Coalition for Nuclear Disarmament and Peace (CNDP) welcomes the Government of India’s announcement on 26th instant that a bill as regards the formation of an "independent and autonomous Nuclear Regulatory Authority of India that would subsume the existing Atomic Energy Regulatory Board (AERB)" will be introduced in the forthcoming monsoon session of the parliament. The formation of such an authority is in fact a longstanding demand of the CNDP.

The CNDP, however, expects that the new authority will have independent nuclear experts other than government functionaries to make its "independence" really meaningful.

The CNDP further demands that with the recent nuclear disaster in Fukushima in Japan in particular in mind, all the upcoming nuclear power plants must be immediately put on the pause mode till their designs and safety aspects are thoroughly reviewed by this independent authority in interaction with all the stakeholders in an open and transparent manner.

The CNDP also demands that the views and opinions of the local communities must be duly factored in before giving any final go-ahead to a nuclear power plant or a mining project or any
other related facility.

Achin Vanaik

J Sri Raman

Sukla Sen

Anil Chaudhary