N-deal on a roll; IAEA, govt resolve safeguards issues

TOUGH BATTLE: The IAEA may have approved but the govt is nowhere close to convincing the Left.

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MAULANA MULAYAM AND PERILS OF NUCLEAR DEAL

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New Delhi: After a brief lull, the nuclear deal has taken centrestage again.

Contrary to speculation that the sticky safeguards negotiations with the IAEA will provide the government an honourable exit, New Delhi and the international nuclear watchdog are just one step short of a final text.

Five rounds of intense negotiations later the IAEA in an official comment has said that both sides have made "considerable progress" in narrowing down differences on the India-specific safeguards.

“We are one step short of a final text. We can say that we are pretty close to the final text," the IAEA said.

The Government, though, is nowhere close to convincing the Left. Sources say the CPM does not want to go into its party congress with an air of uncertainty surrounding the government’s next move. To that end, the CPM General Secretary has written to Pranab Mukerjee, asking that the Left-UPA nuclear panel meeting be convened on or before the 15th of this month.

"Some of the differences are irreconcilable and there are other sticking points like the guaranteed fuel supply,” stated Sitaram Yechury.

The Left wants a clear picture of the direction in which the discussions are heading from the government.

"The President’s speech, Pranab's statement, the PM's reply, all make the intent of the government very clear,” CPI leader D Raja observed. “The US has set a deadline for the government and it appears they are going ahead."

The Left may not budge an inch but the government will be looking to bring other reluctant allies like the DMK and RJD on board.

With May being the deadline for a US Congress approval, the government has two months to chip away at the Opposition.