"The United Progressive Alliance government is working overtime on a specific plan to separate India's military and civilian nuclear facilities," said senior federal government official Tuesday. "This would be submitted to the U.S. after being approved by the Cabinet Committee on Security, an apex Cabinet body that decides all key issues."

Indian Foreign Secretary Shayam Saran may also brief U.S. Undersecretary of State Nicholas Burns about the plan during a meeting in New Delhi next week.

"He will be here (New Delhi) for further talks and the two sides would review the progress made since their last meeting," said an Indian foreign ministry official.

Top government sources say the Indian leadership wants to clinch a deal during Bush's visit to India.

"India should make all possible attempts to arrive at a political decision to clinch the July 18 civilian nuclear deal with the U.S.," said Tara Shankar Sahay, a senior political analyst.

India's left parties, which support the federal coalition led by the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, have opposed Indo-U.S. nuclear deal on the grounds it will expose the country's nuclear capabilities.

"Sharing Indian nuclear separation plan with the U.S. Congress would put our sensitive information in the public domain, which will be a determent to the country's security," said D. Raja, secretary of the Communist Party of India.

The government allayed the fears of its communist allies, saying the separation plan of the five declared nuclear weapons powers - Britain, China, France, Russia and the United States - are also in the public domain and can be accessed on the Internet.

"India could not be treated differently," said a foreign ministry official, adding the civilian nuclear energy deal was vital and would go a long way toward meeting India's energy requirements.

India and the United States signed the agreement on July 18, 2005, when Singh visited Washington. Under the agreement, India said it will separate its civilian and nuclear facilities to enable the Bush administration to push the deal through the U.S. Congress, which has expressed reservations over the deal.

Washington has accused India of delaying the process, which New Delhi says will take time.

India's hectic efforts to come up with a plan come following the imbroglio surrounding Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, the former House majority leader who was a strong supporter of the nuclear deal. Analysts say with key pro-India Republican leaders mired in domestic trouble, the Indian government is apprehensive of losing the opportunity.

Singh recently called a meeting of senior foreign ministry officials to discuss the implementation of the agreement.

Sources said Saran would discuss with Burns how India plans to accelerate its separation process. The U.S. official visits New Delhi Jan. 19.

India has 15 fully operational nuclear installations and two under construction.

Singh faces a tough time ahead. He needs to evolve a political consensus in the face of opposition to the deal.

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