A lot is expected from the new environment minister, Jayanthi Natarajan, whose predecessor gave mining corporations and developers a tough time. Some of the issues that have become a major concern have been listed by former finance secretary EAS Sarma in a quick note to the minister.Â
While congratulating Ms Natarajan on her appointment as the minister, Mr Sarma has asked her to investigate the allegations of environmental and human rights violation in areas where massive mining and industrial projects have been sanctioned.
"The POSCO iron and steel project and Vedanta's bauxite mining project, both in Orissa, the bauxite and iron ore mining projects and their downstream activities in Andhra Pradesh, the Polavaram irrigation project also in Andhra Pradesh, power projects in Nellore and the Areva-driven Jaitapur project in Maharashtra. These projects make a good case study of how the central and state governments have themselves abetted violation of the tribal safeguards of the Fifth Schedule, forest rights law, the Forest (Conservation) Act, PESA, Environment (Protection) Act and so on. You should get these cases examined carefully and take decisions acceptable to the local communities and consistent with the relevant laws," Mr Sarma wrote. Read the full report here.
Source: Moneylife.com.
