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rity that this was permissible since India had already committed itself in 2008 to making the Indian operator fully liable for any damages resulting from an accident. According to NDTV, the Prime Minister asked the DAE how the provisions of the 2010 Act could be overruled and suggested the matter be referred to the Ministries of Law and Justice and External Affairs. In his notings, he also expressed the fear that other supplier nations would demand that NPCIL grant them a similar exemption from those provisions of the law that they did not like. Article 13 of the India-Russia IGA on KK 1-2 states: The Indian side and its authorised organisation at any time and at all stages of the construction and operation of the NPP power units to be constructed under the present Agreement shall be the Operator of power units of the NPP at the Kudankulam site and be fully responsible for any damage both within and outside the territory of the Republic of In-
dia caused to any person and property as a result of a nuclear incident occurring at the NPP. The fuel loading for KK1&2, both 1000 MW VVERs, will commence in mid-August and the rst unit is expected to reach criticality by the end of September. A formal agreement for KK3&4 has yet to be signed at the apex level and the Prime Ministers queries suggest the liability issue remains as big a hurdle today as it was in July 2010, when The Hindu rst reported the Russian demand for exemption.