Illegalities in the appointment of EAC Chairpersons - ERC writes to Ramesh

In a recent letter to the Minister for Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh, the ERC brought to light the illegalities in the appointment of two persons - Rakesh Nath and VP Raja - as Chairpersons of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley Projects and Thermal Power and Coal Mine Projects respectively. The letter highlighted that both Rakesh Nath and VP Raja did not possess the required expertise in environment related issues and that in the case of Rakesh Nath there was 'direct and obvious conflict of interest' as he had been involved in the administration of the Bhakra Beas hydro stations. Furthermore, the appointments were in violation of the spirit and letter of orders of the Supreme Court and the High Court of Delhi.
Click to read the Letter