Following is an excerpt from a report in Times of India.

The environment ministry may have hoodwinked its in-charge Jairam Ramesh to help a company escape action initiated by the minister. The ministry’s forest division issued a circular on January 6, 2011, inserting the proviso “it is advisable” in the original rule without the minister’s approval.

The ministry had issued a notice to Jindal Steel and Power Limited on December 14, 2010, on why its environment clearance should not be revoked for starting construction in non-forestland for its integrated steel plant in Kerjang in Orissa before the forest clearance was granted in October 2010.

A ministry panel found the allegation to be true in December. Jindal steel admitted that the construction has taken place but cited a clause in an agreement with the Orissa government to start work within three years of signing it.

In the meantime, the Forest Advisory Committee, which allowed diversion of forestland, met and recommended insertion of key words — “it is advisable” — in the guidelines of the Act. The revised rule said, “if a project involves forest as well as non-forestland, it is advisable that the work should not be started on non-forest land till the approval of the government for release of the forestland under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 has been given”.

So, how can one trust such a Forest Advisory Committee. What action Ramesh is taking against this committee?

See also the report in danaindia.com which first reported on this harakiri by MOEF. Following is an excerpt from the latest one.

Three days after DNA showed how Jindal Steel & Power Limited (JSPL) used a January 6, 2011, circular to justify unauthorised construction in 2009 and 2010, minister for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh has directed the Orissa government to take action against the company.

Here is an excerpt of what dnaindia wrote while exposing the initial misdeeds of MOEF.

The ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) seems all set to add to the scams and scandals surrounding the UPA government at the Centre thanks to a controversial clearance given to Congress MP Navin Jindal’s proposed steel and power plant in Orissa.

Documents with DNA show that the MoEF issued a circular to change a few words of the guidelines of the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 only to allow the withdrawal of a showcause notice issued to the Jindal project.

This notice, that made headlines when it was issued in November 2010, asked why the earlier issued environmental clearance may not be quashed because Jindal had started construction at the site before the forest clearance — the supplement to the mandatory environment clearance — was given.

Documents show that the provision of the Forest Act that was quoted by the MoEF to legitimise the transgressions of Jindal and withdraw the show cause notice was created only on January 6, 2011 — two months after the showcause notice was issued.

Documents also show that the provision (made through a circular) was scrapped on 17 February, 2011 — exactly a week after the notice to Jindal was withdrawn.

This makes it clear that the circular was issued purely for the benefit of Congress MP Navin Jindal’s project alone.

The above clearly shows the way Forest Advisory committee, MOEF and Ramesh operate. They were hoping to not get caught. But they have been caught red handed.

The sincerity and honesty of Ramesh will be judged by what action he takes against the MOEF official and Forest Rights Committee that did this harakiri; which as per Ramesh, without his knowledge. If Ramesh does not take any action on those officials then one can fairly conclude that he was very much a part of it.