MPs against use of nuclear technology
Kathmandu, March 17
Majority of the 17 amendment proposals registered in the Parliament by lawmakers seek to exclude the word ‘nuclear’ from the Bill on Safe and Peaceful Use of Nuclear and Radioactive Material, stating that the country should not set up a nuclear plant and acquire nuclear weapons as they can be dangerous for the country.
Ruling Nepal Communist Party (NCP) and main opposition Nepali Congress lawmakers also proposed to change the name of the bill as ‘Bill on Safe and Peaceful Use of Radioactive Material’. Chief Whip of NCP Dev Gurung, and lawmakers Bhim Rawal, Yogesh Bhattarai, Krishna Bhakta Pokharel, Khaga Raj Adhikari, Sanjay Kumar Gautam, Gagan Thapa, Dibya Mani Rajbhandari, Bhimsen Das Pradhan, Prem Suwal, Rekha Sharma, Yasoda Gurung Subedi, Shashi Shrestha and Khaga Raj Adhikari registered their amendments on the bill.
Most of lawmakers proposed that two different subjects of nuclear and radioactive materials should not be included in the same bill.
They stated that Nepal required a law that would regulate the use of radioactive materials and not any bill on use of nuclear power.
As per the bill, if someone without a license misuses technology related to nuclear and radioactive power and kills someone, the person will be jailed for life. If someone injures another by misusing the technology, s/he will be fined seven to 12 lakh rupees and be slapped five to 10 years imprisonment, the bill states.
Nepal had signed the Nuclear weapons Prohibition Treaty in September 2017 during the 72nd United Nations General Assembly. Before that Nepal had already became a member of International Atomic Energy Agency on 8 July 2008.
Nepal has brought the bill on the basis of these agreements and membership.
