US backs countrys N-schemes

NEW DELHI: The United States has made it clear that it does not support voluntary groups in India that focus on anti-nuclear activities, and instead reiterated that it was “strongly supportive” of India’s civil nuclear programme.Prime Minister Manmohan Singh had earlier, in a media interview, blamed some US and Scandinavian non-government organisations as being behind the anti-nuclear protests which have stalled the commissioning of the Koodankulam nuclear power project.At a briefing in Washington on Thursday, State department spokesperson Victoria Nuland was asked to comment on the alleged remark by the Indian PM that three US NGOs were funding an anti-nuclear movement in Tamil Nadu.“I’m not aware of that,” Nuland said. She added, “As you know, we are strongly supportive of India’s investment in civil nuclear power. The NGOs that we fund in India are involved in the same kind of democratisation projects.”On persistent questioning on the US position on the PM’s remarks, Nuland said, “That’s not what we support NGOs to do in India. Our NGO support goes for development and it goes for democracy programmes.”