December 17, 2025
Dr Sharmila Sarkar’s speech on The Sustainable Harnessing and Advancement of Nuclear Energy for Transforming India Bill (SHANTI Bill), 2025
Thank you, Sir, for the opportunity to speak on an important Bill, that is, SHANTI Bill, 2025. On behalf, All India Trinamool Congress, I stand to oppose the Bill because of excessive privatisation of a key sector. Sir, for decades, India treated nuclear energy as a strategic public responsibility, not because of ideology, but because of scale of
risk. Nuclear power is not an ordinary sector. A single failure has consequences that last for years and generations. The Bill is called SHANTI, but it has done nothing than wreck the mental peace of Indian citizens. Clause 3 of the Bill opens Indian nuclear sector to private companies and joint ventures. According to this Bill, private firms can engage in fuel cycle activities, equipment manufacturing, power generation and plant operation. The Bill dismantles the principle that India stood for decades. This is not a reform. This is just privatisation without any accountability. The current disaster, that is, the aviation sector, is an example of operation of monopoly in the skies. The Government has bent rules, even suspended the Flight Duty Time Limitation rules, which are meant to ensure the safety of pilots and passengers. With this Bill, there is no guarantee that rules will not be conveniently bent or suspended to benefit some companies. Another problematic domain is that the new Bill removes an earlier provision under right of recourse. This also has been removed in this current Bill. Why? Why are you so anti-people, Sir? Let me tell you. It is because your foreign friends asked you to remove this. That is the reason. Sir, the Bill limits liability of Rs. one crore in case of severe breach. They have put an amount of Rs. one crore on the lives of humans. This is the true face of BJP. BJP can put a cost of Rs. one crore on Indian citizens. The maximum liability of the operator has
been fixed at Rs. 3,000 crore. Sir, does this account for inflation or long term effect of nuclear accident? Almost 40 years ago after the Chernobyl nuclear accident, studies have reported that cancer, infertility, cardiovascular incidents and so many birth defects have been happening due to damage to the DNA. Sir, I want to remind this House that in 2010, when the UPA Government brought an amendment to the Civil Liability for Nuclear Damage Bill, BJP called the Government a sell-out. What is it doing now? BJP is being a sell-out sitting on Bengal’s right. You are sitting on
Bengal’s Rs. 2 lakh crore dues.By withholding Rs. 2 lakh crore of Bengal’s funds, Rs. 43,500 crore meant for natural disaster relief, and Rs. 19,000 crore allocated for the entire education campaign, you have demonstrated an anti-Bengal attitude. Now, by introducing this Bill, you are further demonstrating that you are acting against the interests of the people of India.Sir, I oppose this Bill and I demand that the Bill be sent to a Standing Committee.
