Pachauri has highest level support from govt: Ramesh

Days after turning the heat on the IPCC chief over the Himalayan glaciers melting issue, Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh today said the government supports R K Pachauri as the UN climate change panel's head at the highest level.

"The government backs Pachauri as the chief of the Intergovernmental Penal on Climate Change (IPCC) at the highest level. Past is past," Ramesh said referring to his recent criticism of the UN body chief on the goof up that glaciers will melt by 2035, a claim later found to be false.

His support to Pachauri comes a day before Prime Minister Manmohan Singh inaugurates a global event here organised by The Energy and Resources Institutes (TERI), which is headed by the IPCC chief.

"The government supports him (Pachauri) to the hilt," maintained Ramesh, who had slammed the processes of the UN body over the glaciers melting issue, saying "due diligence was not followed".

Ramesh's comments backing Pachauri comes a few hours after head of the UN Climate Change Secretariat Yvo de Boer supported the IPCC chief, saying that holding him responsible for the goof up in the report on Himalayan glaciers would be "senseless".

Talking to reporters here, the executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change said, "He (Pachauri) is a very respected international scientist and is leading the IPCC in a very dedicated way."