Don't give in to Green protests, Rosaiah to Centre

Chief Minister K. Rosaiah has asked the Centre not to hold back approvals for state's projects due to protests by green activists and vested interests. This reminds one of the recent protests over the proposed thermal power unit near Sompeta-Baruva.

In a letter to Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh, Rosaiah said 20,000 MW of proposed power projects in the State are neeeding environment clearances but “now various NGOs/private interest groups are raising issues adversely affecting some of these.”

“I am sure that you will kindly ensure that necessary steps are taken by your ministry that clearances accorded following due process are not interfered with in any manner... merely based on certain presumptive petitions,” he wrote on July 29.

Jairam Ramesh on Monday told the Rajya Sahba that permission to three power projects and one aluminium smelter refiner project in Andhra Pradesh was suspended for alleged violation of Forest Conservation Act.

Ramesh did not name the companies.“All these projects have conducted Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) following due procedures of law and have obtained requisite clearances including environment clearances from competent authorities,” Rosaiah wrote in the letter.