KOLKATA, Aug 4: The United States assured India on Friday that the final legislation to approve a landmark nuclear pact would stick to a draft agreed by the two countries and not include any deal breakers.

The nuclear energy cooperation deal, under which India will get access to US nuclear fuel and equipment despite not having signed the nuclear non-proliferation treaty, received an initial approval by the US House of Representatives last week.

It needs to be approved by the Senate as well and the House and Senate would vote again after negotiations on the technical details of the agreement are completed.

“The final legislation is important and I am confident that it will be on the lines of what President (George W.) Bush agreed upon when he visited India,” US Assistant Secretary of State for south and central Asia, Richard Boucher, said.

New Delhi has said it is concerned about some amendments US Congressmen have proposed to the bill, seen as an attempt to impose curbs on India’s nuclear programme.

But Mr Boucher told business leaders in Kolkata that speculation over the fate of the bill in the Senate, said to have a large number of non-proliferation advocates, was unwarranted.

“We should not worry now and only think about the final legislation, which I am confident will be within the framework of what the countries discussed initially,” he said.

“The deal will help India to get clean energy and reduce pressure on world petroleum reserves,” Boucher said.

Besides approval by the Senate, India must complete negotiations with the International Atomic Energy Agency on a system of inspections for its civilian nuclear sites.

Also, the 45-nation Nuclear Suppliers Group must change its regulations to allow nuclear transfers to India, which conducted nuclear weapon tests in 1974 and again in 1998.

Nuclear non-proliferation experts in the United States say the agreement would allow India to produce nuclear weapons easily because it frees its domestic atomic supplies for military use.

It has also been attacked in India with supporters of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s government, as well as the opposition, accusing New Delhi of submitting to tough conditions imposed by Washington and compromising its nuclear security.—Reuters