New Delhi, Aug 21 (IANS) The Rajya Sabha will take up the nuclear liability bill for discussion next week, Minister of State for Parliamentary Affairs Prithviraj Chavan Saturday informed the upper house.

The cabinet Friday approved 18 changes in the draft bill on the lines of the recommendation of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on science and technology.

The changes include a proposal to triple the liability from Rs.500 crore to Rs.1,500 crore.

Sources say these changes have been made on the lines of the Japanese nuclear liability laws.

Chavan added that the energy bill, 2010, and several other legislations which could not be taken Saturday will be also taken up in the coming week.

Other draft legislations coming up for the Rajya Sabha’s cosnideration next week include the Medical Council (Amendment) bill, Essential Commodities (Amendment) bill, Code of Criminal Procedure (Amendment) Bill among others.

The monsoon session has been extended by two days with both houses sitting Aug 30 and 31. The session was earlier scheduled to close Aug 27.

The decision has been taken with a view of the pending legislative business. The present session saw no business during the first week as the opposition parties stalled the proceedings demanding a discussion on price rise under rules entailing voting.

Two more days have been lost as Aug 23 and 24 are holidays.