Panel members walk out of meet on green norm amendments

At a meeting here on Saturday, sharp differences cropped up between non-governmental organisation Environment Support Group (ESG) and a high-level committee set up by the Union environment ministry to review environment, pollution-control and forest conservation laws. ESG members said the committee's members, headed by former Union Cabinet secretary T S R Subramanian, walked out mid-way through the meeting.

Members of the committee couldn't be reached for comment.

An ESG spokesperson, "The committee did not have any procedure, except the online submission of opinion on the ministry's website, which was limited to 1,000 words."

In a statement, ESG said it was deeply disturbed by the manner in which the committee had dealt the public consultation process. "We demand the Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change call off this exercise, as it has all the markings of being a ritual exercise. We demand in its place, the ministry constitute a committee with a clear rationale for reform and terms of reference that are democratic, consultative and transparent," ESG said in a media statement.

An ESG member said at Saturday's meeting, the group had said if the proposed amendments on this crucial subject were rushed, it would make light of people's fundamental rights and concerns. This, ESG said, irked the committee, with its members deciding to walk out. The committee's members, who arrived here after meeting various groups in Bihar and Odisha, met a host of environment-related groups and sought suggestions in amending the laws pertaining to the environment, pollution-control and forest conservation.