Stung by media reports questioning the safety provisions in place in Indian nuclear plants after the recent nuclear accident in Japan, Rao told The Indian Express, that the watchdog body is frequently tightening safety procedures in all nuclear and non-atomic energy units.

For one, all the 134 safety-related issues that had been raised by my predecessor A Gopalakrishanan, have been taken up and have, either been resolved or assigned to action committees or have been placed under constant watch while being addressed, said Rao.

The outgoing AERB chief, who demits office this week after three years in the job, has already taken up his new assignment as Vice-Chancellor of Hyderabad University.

"When I took up office at AERB, we took these 134issues very seriously. Many were problems of upgradation or related to confidence-building measures required in the plants. We set up teams of the AERB and the unit concerned to draw up action plans of what is to be done," says Rao.

Three years later, 90 out of the 134 issues have been "cleared". Rao explains that in the case of these 90 items, the action plan has been implemented and a report submitted on the action taken.

Twenty-three problems have been placed with the Safety Review Committee for Operating Plants (SARCOPS), which meets every week to monitor and keep constant tabs on the situation.

"That leaves 21 outstanding issues that we are working on and which too should be cleared by 2001," he said. "But this does not mean that till the upgradation is carried out, there is any risk. We have covered that," he adds.

Vigorously defending the AERB's independence, Rao said that whenever the Board has issued orders, the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE) has had to comply.

He cites the instance ofthe delamination of the inner containment dome of the Kaiga plant in 1994, when the AERB directed the shutting down of all the nuclear power plants in the country. And despite the expense and losses, the nuclear establishment had to toe the line.

"Let there be no doubts about the AERB's independent authority," he said. At the same time he emphasises the closely coordinated efforts between the DAE and AERB, which have resulted in a streamlining of operations and an enhancement of overall safety.