In a speaking order explaining why he had not accepted the FAC's advise, Ramesh accorded the forest clearance to Tara, Parsa East and Kante Basan coal blocks.
In his order he gave six reasons for doing so. He said the projects were on the fringe of the thick forest block that he had earlier made his icon for the `go no-go' policy. He said the project had been curtailed from their earlier versions and the proponent had accommodated the ministry's concerns which he was reciprocating. He noted that the wildlife conservation concerns could be addressed with the help of expert organizations such as the Nature Conservation Foundation, Wildlife Trust of India, Indian Institute of Science and the government run Wildlife Institute of India.
He cited the importance of the mining linked supercritical thermal power plant, which would help the country deal with climate change. He also put on record that the chief ministers of Rajasthan (where some of the coal would be used) and Chhattisgarh have been pursuing the case for mining ardently with him and the Prime Minister. Read the full report here.
Source: Times News Network, New Delhi.
