WASHINGTON - Efforts to implement a landmark US-India civilian nuclear deal are not moving as fast as predicted by Washington, nearly three months after US President George W. Bush signed it into law. Washington had initially expected the deal, allowing export of civilian nuclear fuel and technology to India, to take off six months after it was cleared by Congress and became law in December.But officials are now less optimistic, amid reports that the United States and India are bickering over the formulation of a bilateral agreement incorporating all technical details of the deal.
New Delhi meanwhile has not formally negotiated with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) over a set of atomic safeguards which it should adhere to under the pact. Also, the 45-nation Nuclear SuppliersÂ’ Group (NSG) has not formally sanctioned the deal, under which Washington created a rare exception for India from US law, which prohibits nuclear sales to Nuclear Proliferation Treaty (NPT) non-signatories.