N-deal anxiety on with Rice's India visit on tenterhooks

On Board PM's Special Aircraft: The planned visit of US Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice to India on October 3 for possible signing of the Indo-US nuclear deal may be rescheduled, a top official in the PM's delegation

indicated on Saturday.

The US has requested for rescheduling her visit, the official said.

Official sources had earlier said that the agreement would be initialled on October 3 by Rice and External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee if it got final approval of the US Congress by then.

Mukherjee, who is currently in the US, is expected to return home on October 3.

The official said India had some concern over part of the text of the agreement is being considered in the Congress.

But he said India has been told by the US they would ensure this was duly addressed.