Contrary to popular perception that Ramesh sat on or delayed clearances, facts tell a very different tale. Under his tenure in the last two years the ministry gave environmental clearance to over 90% projects.
No major projects, whether it was the Posco Steel Plant in Orissa or the Nuclear Park in Jaitapur or the Navi Mumbai Airport, was stopped. He even altered his own go no go policy for the coal sector by allowing three major blocks in no go areas with some stiff environmental conditions. That was part of his “flexible" approach on environmental issues.
Before Ramesh, the ministry was perceived as a rubber stamp for clearing projects and there were also allegations of corruption. He cleaned up the system and brought in transparency in functioning. In fact, one of the first things he did was to put in a transparent glass door in his office at the ministry since he believed that transparency had to begin with him. Ramesh also raised the hackles of several cabinet colleagues, the Prime Minister's office and of course the industry from which he zealously guarded India's ecology. Read the full report here.
Source: Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times, New Delhi.
