The Centre has said that the committee constituted to look into the various aspects of the India-United States nuclear agreement will consider the concerns raised by the Left Front, but it is not bound to accept them.
Minister of Science and Technology Kapil Sibal also made it clear that the 123 Agreement to operationalise the deal cannot be renegotiated.
"Taking into account never means you are bound by it," Sibal told a television channel during an interview.
The government announced the composition of the committee on Wednesday, which comprises members of the Left and the United Progressive Alliance. The government had said that the committee would take into account the Left Front's concerns before operationalising the deal.
The interview was conducted before the constitution of the Committee, in which Sabil is one of the UPA members.
"We will talk about the concerns of Left parties. We will try and deal with those concerns and when we come to a final decision, which we have to, we will take them into account," he said.
Sibal claimed that the Left parties had never said that the government was bound to accept their concerns on the deal.
Speaking about the likely time frame for the committee to address the Left's concerns, the minister said, "it could take a month". He added that though there was no specific date for operationalising the civil nuclear deal with the US, the "sooner the better".
