16 February 2004	Monday	24 Zilhaj 1424

NEW DELHI, Feb 15: India is considering restrictions on top experts working abroad, after becoming alarmed at the number of Indian scientists employed in Libya, a newspaper said on Sunday.

The Indian Express said the government may bar scientists from taking jobs abroad for five years after leaving sensitive posts in India. The newspaper said New Delhi was concerned by the large number of former employees from state-run weapons and space programmes who were working in Libya.

The Indian embassy in Tripoli investigated and confirmed "quite a few" Indian scientists were working on Libyan projects, possibly in "high-technology" projects, the newspaper said. But it said Libya has told Indian officials that all the projects were of civilian nature, said the newspaper, which did not specify its sources.

The Libyan government struck a deal with the United States and Britain on December 19 to dismantle its programmes to develop weapons of mass destruction, handing over blueprints for making atomic weapons.

Condemned around the world for going nuclear, India has stressed that it strictly opposes weapons proliferation. -AFP