Impact: Environment Minister Panel Under Government Scar

New Delhi: The rot in the Environment Ministry seems to start right at the top. CNN-IBN on Thursday revealed how a top boss in the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) is also on the board of directors of certain mining companies. Chairman of the Additional Expert Committee ML Mazumdar who looks at approvals of mining projects in the country is also on the board of directors of four mining companies. In fact, all the projects applied for by these four mining companies have got approval from the Ministry.Mazumdar sits on the board of Uranium Corporation India Limited. And since 2006, five projects of the company have been reportedly cleared. Mazumdar is part of another company, RGB Minerals, which has one project cleared.

Investigation: mining watchdog is mining boss

Adhunik Metaliks has reportedly had 10 projects cleared. And the fourth, Hindustan Dorr Oliver Ltd, a chemical engineering company, which provides services to most mining companies applying to MOEF for clearance. Environment lawyer Ritwick Dutta who filed the RTI was shocked by the discovery.

“When this RTI response came it became clear that the mining sector is getting an extremely high level of clearance because those people who should not be there are actually sitting there to decide. And mining industry in fact today decides who should mine and who shouldn't,” Dutta revealed. Reacting to CNN-IBN’s story, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh has ordered for a change in the constitution of the committee. “I have ordered for a reconstitution within two weeks,” he said. While the Minister may have taken cognizance of this RTI application and ordered for reconstitution, what will happen to the 400-odd projects cleared by Mazumdar?

(With inputs from Juhi Chaudhary)

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