Thursday, July 27 2006 12:12 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Washington: Despite critics' last ditch efforts to attach deal breaker conditions to the India US nuclear accord, the US House of Representatives appears all set to approve a landmark bipartisan legislation that would allow peaceful nuclear commerce between the two countries after 30 years.

The house took up Wednesday the United States and India Nuclear Cooperation Promotion Act of 2006 ahead of other pending legislation after adopting a special rule.

The rule providing a shortened procedure also waives all points of order against consideration of the bill and permits only a structured debate on specific amendments cleared by the House rules committee Tuesday.

As the debate began, supporters of the India deal appeared determined to quash any move to attach 'deal-breaker' conditions to it. One such amendment requires that India decrease its nuclear stockpile and eventually eliminate all nuclear weapons; another called for the United States to restrict exports of nuclear fuel to India until the president determined that New Delhi had stopped production of material that could be used to make nuclear bombs.