07-21-2008, 10:43 PM
<b> CPI(M) TO STRENGTHEN PROTEST AGAINST NUCLEAR DEAL</b>
By GLOBEGATHER.COM NATIONAL NEWS BUREAU,21 JULY 2008
The CPI(M) on 21 July said the party will strengthen protests against the Indo-US nuclear deal notwithstanding results of tomorrow's trust vote in the Lok Sabha.
"The Government had destroyed our trust on assurances of discussing the deal before going ahead with it. Now we will strengthen our protests if the Government still remains adamant about pursuing the deal after the trust vote," CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
Yechury also came down heavily on the nuclear deal stating the going ahead with the agreement would rob the country's people of their healthcare and educational facilities as extra funds would be required for nuclear power generators.
He underscored that the nuclear deal as "anti-people" and claimed that the excess amount could be used to finance 20,000 new public hospitals or a similar number of new colleges.
Speaking at a public demonstration today, organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Yechury said agreeing to the Indo-US nuclear deal will deprive the country's millions of proper education and health facilities.
Citing huge disparity in cost of power generation from nuclear and other sources, he claimed that the Government would end up spending an excess of over Rs 16,00,000 crores for generating 20,000 mega watt power from nuclear sources.
"For producing every mega watt power from nuclear sources the expenditure will be around Rs 11,000 crores. When other sources of power generation, like flood water, natural gas and coal can produce power for not more than Rs 3,000 to 4,000 crores per mega watt," Yechury said.
"We agree with the Prime Minister that the country needs to generate additional 20,000 mega watt power, but when none of these resources are scarce in the country, then what is the need for going nuclear," Yechury said.
By GLOBEGATHER.COM NATIONAL NEWS BUREAU,21 JULY 2008
The CPI(M) on 21 July said the party will strengthen protests against the Indo-US nuclear deal notwithstanding results of tomorrow's trust vote in the Lok Sabha.
"The Government had destroyed our trust on assurances of discussing the deal before going ahead with it. Now we will strengthen our protests if the Government still remains adamant about pursuing the deal after the trust vote," CPI(M) Politburo member Sitaram Yechury said.
Yechury also came down heavily on the nuclear deal stating the going ahead with the agreement would rob the country's people of their healthcare and educational facilities as extra funds would be required for nuclear power generators.
He underscored that the nuclear deal as "anti-people" and claimed that the excess amount could be used to finance 20,000 new public hospitals or a similar number of new colleges.
Speaking at a public demonstration today, organised by the Students' Federation of India (SFI) and the Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI), Yechury said agreeing to the Indo-US nuclear deal will deprive the country's millions of proper education and health facilities.
Citing huge disparity in cost of power generation from nuclear and other sources, he claimed that the Government would end up spending an excess of over Rs 16,00,000 crores for generating 20,000 mega watt power from nuclear sources.
"For producing every mega watt power from nuclear sources the expenditure will be around Rs 11,000 crores. When other sources of power generation, like flood water, natural gas and coal can produce power for not more than Rs 3,000 to 4,000 crores per mega watt," Yechury said.
"We agree with the Prime Minister that the country needs to generate additional 20,000 mega watt power, but when none of these resources are scarce in the country, then what is the need for going nuclear," Yechury said.