Prime Minister Manmohan Singh stated in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday that it would be harmful if the country gave up the option of tapping nuclear energy as an additional source of electricity. Fielding a pointed query from Shiv Sena floor leader Anant Geete during Question Hour,the Prime Minister said: It would be harmful for the countrys interest to pass an ordinance of self-denial that we shall give up the option of having nuclear power as an additional source. We are not in a situation in which Japan is, he said,referring to Geetes allusion to some remarks made by the Japanese PM putting safety considerations over and above his countrys energy requirements. On Germany giving up nuclear power,Singh said Germany relied on France to meet its energy requirement and France had a large number of nuclear power plants. However,Singh declared that there would be no compromise on the issue of nuclear safety. He said when it came to the question of safety,there should be no compromise whatsoever. Our safety measures are an open book, he said. The policy that we have right now is that we must do everything in our power to ensure fool-proof safety of nuclear plants. The government,he said,would never do anything which creates doubts about the safety of nuclear plants. India,he pointed out,had 19 nuclear reactors and there had never been any incident. He recalled that after the Fukushima tragedy,he had ordered a complete revisit to all the 19 reactors. The findings of the NPCIL on this count are on the websites,he added. SP,BSP put up united front over weavers issue NEW DELHI: The Rajya Sabha on Wednesday witnessed rare unity by arch-rivals SP and BSP as members of the two parties forced adjournment of the House twice during Question Hour over the plight of weavers in Uttar Pradesh. The Centre in November last year had announced a Rs 6,234-crore package for weavers. When Textile Minister Anand Sharma was replying to questions on schemes for the handloom sector,BSP and SP members created a ruckus. Restore Amarnath Yatra to four months,BJP tells Centre NEW DELHI: Arguing that the duration of the Amarnath Yatra was being reduced in a systematic pattern over the years,the BJP on Wednesday sought the intervention of the Centre to ensure that the duration is restored to the original four months. Raising the issue during zero hour,Leader of the Opposition in Rajya Sabha Arun Jaitley said,The number of people is increasing every year.. Who are the people interested in reducing the duration of this yatra? Haryana relief for Agnivesh CHANDIGARH: The Haryana government has refused to grant prosecution sanction against Swami Agnivesh. He was booked for hurting religious sentiments following his statement on Amarnath Yatra.
