Controversial he can afford to be with the backing that he supposedly has of the Congress president. Industry is reeling with shock at the sudden activism and enforcement it sees at the ministry under Ramesh. When convinced of violations, he seems unmovable, bringing to a grinding halt, for example, Anil Agarwal's bauxite mining project in Orissa's Niyamgiri hills and Posco's forever-on-hold steel plant in Orissa. He is not shy of taking on fellow parliamentarians lobbying for projects they have interests in. No names have been taken, but Ramesh has made his point.
The new year should see enough action. Posco is to be resolved one way or the other. Ditto, Lavasa. A new executive structure enforcing environment rules — the National Environment Assessment and Monitoring Authority — will come into being and Ramesh's National Green Tribunal will become effective. The minister's no-go policy has irked the coal and power ministries no end, and it has now been introduced into the coastal regulation zones. Read the full report here.
Source: Meera Mohanty, Business World.
