No changes in N-deal: Boucher

Kolkata: The US allayed India's fears over the final shape of the nuclear deal between the two countries, maintaining that the pact would be on the lines of what was originally agreed upon by US President George W Bush and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.

"I am confident that the final legislation of the nuclear deal will be on the lines of what George Bush agreed when he visited India," US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asia Richard Boucher said.

During Bush's India visit in early March, he and Singh had followed upon their landmark statement of July 18, 2005 and arrived at an agreement on the Indo-US civilian nuclear deal.

However, critics say the legislation the US Congress and Senate are expected to finalise to allow nuclear commerce with India may contain new conditionalities on New Delhi.

"Apprehensions are there in India and in the US but we should not worry about this. We should only think about the final outcome of the legislation which I am confident will be within the framework of what both countries agreed," he said while addressing a function organised by the Indian Chamber of Commerce.

Boucher said one of the reasons for the civil nuclear energy cooperation agreement was that India get clean energy and "it does not push on the petroleum reserves".

"It (the deal) is the beginning of a new relationship. The USA recognises India as a rising global power and one of the emerging five largest economies of the world," he said.

"India and USA are natural allies," he added.

Boucher said the main challenges before India and the US are to combat HIV/AIDS, climatic change, narcotics and to jointly fight the common scourge of terrorism.

Earlier, the visiting US official met West Bengal Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharya and assured that the US would contribute towards the economic progress of the state.

"We are trying to organise trade delegations and we are talking to the US companies about the improved situation in West Bengal," Boucher said after the hour-long meeting with Bhattacharya.

Boucher also complimented the Chief Minister for his efforts to improve the fiscal condition of the state.

"Here is, within the system, somebody on the ground who is trying very hard to improve the economic life of the state," he said of Bhattacharya.