Panel reviewing green laws gets one-month extension

Written By Unknown on Jumat, 31 Oktober 2014 | 22.33

NEW DELHI: A high level committee, which has been reviewing green laws to suggest appropriate amendments to bring them in sync with the government's development goals, has got another month to finalize its report. The move comes even as the Centre is keen to change couple of key legislations during the winter session of Parliament.

It is learnt that the committee, headed by former cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, has been sounded out to finish its work by November 28 so that the government can bring certain amendments during the remaining 17 sittings of the winter session.

The month-long session, beginning on November 24, will have 22 sittings till December 23.

"After getting suggestions of the panel, the government will need a few days to draft the required amendments. That's why the committee was initially asked to submit its report by October 28," said a senior official.

The panel was set up on August 29 and asked to submit its report in two months. The panel is examining laws pertaining to environment protection, forest conservation, wildlife protection and prevention of air and water pollution.

Though the government has not elaborated on its objectives in the terms of reference (ToR) of the four-member panel, the committee chairman is learnt to have clarified its mandate during one of its public consultations.

Quoting the panel chief from his speech at a public consultation in Bangalore last month, the Environment Support Group (ESG), which works with a variety of environmental and social justice initiatives, said the former cabinet secretary had explained that the primary goal was to suggest changes which would ensure development.

The ESG quoted Subramanian as saying that the country was very poor and it was "essential to streamline environmental clearance process that thwarted (economic) growth".

"Subramanian also shared that it was a matter of concern to the government that several development projects were getting mired in litigation on environmental grounds, leading to needless delays," the ESG said in a statement.

Subramanian, at the same time, insisted that the committee had the mandate to "propose necessary changes that would help improve the quality of life and environment".

The ESG also referred to the committee's chairman remarks in which he said that the ministry of environment and forests had never proposed a public consultation exercise but he had suggested that this should take place.

Former environment secretary Viswanath Anand, retired judge of Delhi High Court Justice A K Srivastav and senior advocate and former additional solicitor general K N Bhat are the other three members of the committee.

The ESG and various other members of civil society have put a list of demands before the environment ministry to make this process more representative, keeping in mind concerns of people. They demanded that the "ministry must first come out with a white paper discussing the nature of the reforms that it proposes in environmental, forest conservation and pollution control laws".

Referring to the consultation mechanism, they said, "Adequate facilities must be made to ensure that anyone interested can participate with dignity and without being inhibited by language or geographical location. To ensure this, the process must be devolved by enlisting the support of state and local governments."

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