Sydney, September 8

Australia should not sell uranium to India until the South Asian giant establishes an independent nuclear regulator, a parliamentary committee recommended today, as it called for more safeguards on a landmark energy deal between the two countries.

Prime Minister Tony Abbott and his Indian counterpart Narendra Modi inked a long-awaited pact for Australia to sell uranium to India in September last year, in a bid to ease the country’s power crisis and help provide clean energy to its population.

Australia is the world’s third-biggest uranium producer and the parliamentary report said the domestic sector would enjoy a huge boost if the agreement is ratified, with the industry and the number of people employed in it doubling in size.