The next meeting of the UPA-Left Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal is likely to take place on June 11.
NEW DELHI: The next meeting of the UPA-Left Committee on the Indo-US nuclear deal is likely to take place on June 11, as the government races against time to clinch a safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
The deferment of the meeting, earlier scheduled for Wednesday, came in the wake of Left parties planning to ask the government to allow the Indo-US nuclear deal to lapse before finalising the India-specific safeguards agreement with the global nuclear watchdog, International Atomic Energy Agency.
Sources said the meeting of the UPA-Left Committee could be held on June 11. However, it would be finalised keeping in mind the availability of all key leaders.
The meeting was deferred due to "unavailability of some members" of the panel, External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee, the panel's convenor, said yesterday.
At the last meeting on May six, the four Left parties, which are apprehensive that the Indo-US nuclear deal would harm India's interests, had sought explanations on various aspects of the draft agreement.
The government, they said, had failed to convince them that the 123 agreement would not compromise India's interests. However, they said they would study the government's replies and come back with their response at the next meeting.
The four parties, which held consultations among themselves last week, are preparing to ask the government to finalise the safeguards agreement with IAEA only after the 123 agreement with the US lapses.
This, they feel, would allow India to carry out nuclear trade with countries like Russia and France, which do not have any law like the American Hyde Act that "undermines India's sovereignty and adversely affect the pursuance of an independent foreign policy."
Keeping this in mind, the Left parties are keen to ensure that India does not attend the upcoming meeting of the Board of Governors of the IAEA at Geneva early next month.
The outside supporters of the UPA feel that government should wait for some more time before finalising the safeguards agreement with the IAEA.
Smaller parties, RSP and Forward Bloc, have been pressurising their larger Left counterparts - CPI and CPI (M) - to wind up the UPA-Left Committee saying there was no point in continuing discussions with the government on the nuclear deal as there was "no meeting ground" between the two sides.
However, the CPI and CPI (M) favour continuation of the dialogue further.
The US has been insisting that time is running out and all steps to implement the deal should be taken by June, maintaining that if the deal did not come up before the Congress again by July, it could be left for the next government in the US to take up the agreement.
The meeting, eighth since November last, is slated to discuss whether India should sign the safeguards agreement with IAEA, negotiations for which have already been concluded.
Due to the postponement, India would miss a possible chance of discussing the safeguards accord with IAEA Board of Directors at its scheduled meeting next month. The Board has to approve the agreement.
The agreement is a key step towards implementing the Indo-US deal and the government intends to conclude the process during the tenure of Bush Administration.
After signing the agreement with IAEA, India has to seek a waiver from the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group before the final vote on the deal in the American Congress.
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