Saturday, February 28, 2015

Budget: India to do away with Environment Ministry soon? - Ranjan Panda

(Image: from FB, anonymous)

As soon as the current government at centre was sworn in to power last year, I had predicted how - keeping with the tradition followed in Gujarat (when the current Prime Minister was Chief Minister there) - the Environment Ministry may be done away with; sooner than later.  My apprehension, I am afraid, is turning into reality.

The budget presented yesterday, that has all tall talks about creating an enabling environment for Business in India, shows the sign of a gradual dismantling of the Ministry to protect Forests and Environment. 

Please look into the following link to find how India's finance minister, in his first full budget, has cut allocation for the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) by nearly a quarter to Rs.1,681.60 crore in 2015-16 compared with the amount budgeted for the current fiscal year.

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/4nHSOvIAzn2dqvqHJSR19O/Budget-2015-Jaitley-cuts-allocation-to-environment-ministry.html

One thing is for sure: we should not expect any good days for the common Indians depending on forests and environment for their lives and livelihood, and for the other voiceless species. 


I can only predict more conflicts surrounding resources and further deprivation of the above communities.

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