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Yechury talks tough on N-deal

— Photo: Ashoke chakrabarty

AMID PARTYMEN: CPI (M) polit bureau member Sitaram Yechury with party leader Janardan Pati in Bhubaneswar on Friday.

BHUBANESWAR: Two days before the crucial meeting of the 15-member UPA-Left committee on nuclear deal, Sitaram Yechury, senior politburo member of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), here on Friday said generation of nuclear power would prove to be too costly for the country and the UPA Government should not pursue deal with America.

Addressing a party’s rally here, Mr. Yechury said generation of one mega watt of nuclear power would require Rs. 11 crore and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh envisioned achieving 30,000 mw nuclear power generation, for which total production cost would come to Rs. 3,30,000 crore.

“If we tap our hydro power potential, total generation cost for 30,000 mw would come down to Rs. 90,000 crore. Hence we could save Rs. 2,50,000 crore by not signing the deal,” Mr. Yechury.

The fund, which could be saved by not opting nuclear energy, could be spent on construction of lakhs of schools and provision of free medical services to poor people, he pointed out.

“We will try to make our ally Congress understand the issue. If they realise, it is fine. If they don’t, we will work out our own strategy,” Mr. Yechury said sending a veiled threat.

Referring to mentioning of human rights violation in Nandigram in the annual report of US state department, Mr. Yechury criticised saying America should not preach on human rights violation as more than five lakh people lost their lives in Iraq and middle east region due to their interference.

“If they interfere in internal matter of India like this now, the situation could well be imagined once they sign the nuclear deal with us,” the senior Left leader said.

Coming to farmers’ loan waiver issue, Mr. Yechury said, “We will impress upon the UPA government to lift ceiling of five acres land.

The party will demand extension of waiver scheme to non-irrigated areas where farmers hold more than five acres of land.”

The UPA government should have been implemented the programme in the first year itself, but the plan was announced at the end of its term, he said and added the party would ensure proper implementation of the programme.

“We have been able to pressurise the Congress-led government by participating in the rule. Our participation is essential to prevent saffron parties from coming to power,” the senior leader of the CPI (M) said.

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