Jairam Ramesh Approves Chhattisgarh Mining Ignoring FAC Recommendations

New Delhi (ABC Live): Indian Environment Minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday has rejected the recommendations of the Forests Advisory Committee (FAC) on Tara, Parsa East and Kante Basin coal blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand Forests region of Chhattisgarh.

As per information, Mr. Jairam Ramesh stated in his written statement that he had earlier rejected the FAC’s recommendations thrice prior to latest one and decided to approve the Stage-I proposal for Tara, Parsa East and Kante Basin coal blocks in the Hasdeo- Arand Forests region of Chhattisgarh.

Further, Mr. Jairam Ramesh has quoted six reasons in support of his rejection to FAC’s recommendations, which are as follows:

Ramesh considered Tara, Parsa East and Kante Basin coal blocks in the fringe not in Biodiversity rich the Hasdeo-Arand Forests region.

Change in mining plans since project was firstly filed in MoEF for clearance.

Ramesh while rejecting FAC’s recommendations ignored the effects of mining in on wildlife of the area and just put all responsibilities on Wildlife trust of India, National conservation Foundation, etc under wildlife management programmes.

Fourthly, Indian Environment Minister favored coal mining in the fringe not in Biodiversity rich the Hasdeo-Arand Forests region (As stated by Mr. Jairam Ramesh) because these future coal mines are located very near to Supercritical thermal power generating stations and argued that coal extracted from these coal mines will emit less carbon in atmosphere and serve the so called cause well taken by Mr. Jairam Ramesh.

Mr. Ramesh rejected the FAC’s recommendations as the two chief ministers of states whose thermal power stations are located near to proposed mines had written to him.

The last argument, Mr. Ramesh stated in his statement in favor of mining in Tara, Parsa East and Kante Basin coal blocks in the Hasdeo-Arand Forests region of Chhattisgarh is that FAC has not look into India’s XI five plan of Planning commission of India projection which says that India to add 52000 Mw additional in its energy basket to keep infrastructure development run further.

After reading the argument given by Indian Environment Minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, its seems that Mr. Ramesh is more concerned with domains held by government departments and organizations than to his own one called, Ministry of Environment and Forests, which has clear mandate to preserve the Environment and Forests of India.

The decision and arguments postulated by Mr. Ramesh is entirely opposite to his international image where, he projects himself as the tallest environment friendly personality of India.

Dinesh Singh Says,

Indian Environment Minister, Mr. Jairam Ramesh is flamboyant boy of Indian polity and have two faces one for his international friends @ UNFCCC forums and second for political compulsions, the approval for mining in Chhattisgarh is his second face, which may trouble him in his first face fraternity.