Delay expected in eco-clearance of 3,500 Gujarat cases as Modi's man joins PMO

By Rajiv Shah
With Dr PK Misra, who was principal secretary to chief minister Narendra Modi during the 2002 riots, having left to Delhi as Prime Minister Modi’s additional principal secretary, Gujarat’s “industry-friendly” babus and small entrepreneurs are keeping their fingers crossed: What will happen to a whopping nearly 3,500 applications, said to be pending before the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), which he had just come to chair after the post remained vacant for nearly a year?
The Gujarat government failed to send names of chairman and other members of SEIAA to the Government of India for forming the new authority after July 2013, which, environmentalists say, was a major reasons for the failure to “clear” so many applications. Well-placed sources in the Gujarat government told Counterview that Misra, who is known to be perhaps the closest IAS bureaucrat to Modi, had worked a “complete time table” to clear huge backlog of applications pending before the powerful authority for environmental clearance.
The number of not cleared cases was just 1,700 in December 2013, and these have now more than doubled, as even mining cases were also brought before the authority for clearance because of a Supreme Court order. Most of those who applied are small entrepreneurs who may have taken huge debts for setting up units were feeling “cheated in a state known for its industry-friendly approach”. With Misra in, a ray of hope had come about that he would “clear” all the cases within six months, “but things seem again gloomy”, an official conceded.
An IAS bureaucrat, Misra was Modi’s principal secretary between 2001 and 2004, when he went to Delhi on deputation. He was Union agriculture secretary for two years, and was made secretary, National Disaster Management Authority (NDMA) till his retirement in 2008. On his return to Gujarat, Misra was promptly appointed as chairman of the Gujarat Electricity Regulatory Commission (GERC), responsible for fixing electricity tariffs for various categories of consumers as a “reward” for his support to Modi all through.

Expectation was particularly high from Misra because, as chairman of GERC, he assiduously favoured power tariff hike for the consumers, even as favouring the case of industrialists. In fact, he went so far as to reject the Gujarat government plea to the GERC for bringing down the rate at which solar power was being bought from solar power producers -- Rs 15 per unit. The state government argument was that the rate fixed a few years ago under an agreement was too high, and solar equipment and installation costs had actually fallen drastically to Rs 7 per unit.
In fact, officials say, it is difficult to understand why Misra accepted becoming chairman of the authority even when he was “sounded” by Modi personally that he would be taken to Delhi. “The plan worked out by Misra required clearance of 20-30 cases on a daily basis, with the authority sitting for the whole day”, the official said, adding, “As for mining cases, which have piled up lately, the industries and mines department was asked to assist the process of environmental clearance to quicken the process.”
Gujarat environmentalists dubbed failure to clear so many cases by the Gujarat government as “Modi tax” – a direct allusion to the “Jayanthi tax” remark by Modi ahead of the Lok Sabha elections against the backdrop of large number of cases pending for environmental clearance under the then Union environment and forests minister Jayanthi Natarajan. Mahesh Pandya of Paryavaran Mitra particularly said, on the basis of facts obtained under the Right to Information Act, that Gujarat’s pending cases were a direct result of failure to appoint the new SEIAA.

Comments

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

CFA flags ‘welfare retreat’ in Union Budget 2026–27, alleges corporate bias

By Jag Jivan The advocacy group Centre for Financial Accountability (CFA) has sharply criticised the Union Budget 2026–27 , calling it a “budget sans kartavya” that weakens public welfare while favouring private corporations, even as inequality, climate risks and social distress deepen across the country.

From water scarcity to sustainable livelihoods: The turnaround of Salaiya Maaf

By Bharat Dogra We were sitting at a central place in Salaiya Maaf village, located in Mahoba district of Uttar Pradesh, for a group discussion when an elderly woman said in an emotional voice, “It is so good that you people came. Land on which nothing grew can now produce good crops.”

'Big blow to crores of farmers’: Opposition mounts against US–India trade deal

By A Representative Farmers’ organisations and political groups have sharply criticised the emerging contours of the US–India trade agreement, warning that it could severely undermine Indian agriculture, depress farm incomes and open the doors to genetically modified (GM) food imports in violation of domestic regulatory safeguards.

When free trade meets unequal fields: The India–US agriculture question

By Vikas Meshram The proposed trade agreement between India and the United States has triggered intense debate across the country. This agreement is not merely an attempt to expand bilateral trade; it is directly linked to Indian agriculture, the rural economy, democratic processes, and global geopolitics. Free trade agreements (FTAs) may appear attractive on the surface, but the political economy and social consequences behind them are often unequal and controversial. Once again, a fundamental question has surfaced: who will benefit from this agreement, and who will pay its price?

Why Russian oil has emerged as the flashpoint in India–US trade talks

By N.S. Venkataraman* In recent years, India has entered into trade agreements with several countries, the latest being agreements with the European Union and the United States. While the India–EU trade agreement has been widely viewed in India as mutually beneficial and balanced, the trade agreement with the United States has generated comparatively greater debate and scrutiny.

Trade pacts with EU, US raise alarms over farmers, MSMEs and policy space

By A Representative A broad coalition of farmers’ organisations, trade unions, traders, public health advocates and environmental groups has raised serious concerns over India’s recently concluded trade agreements with the European Union and the United States, warning that the deals could have far-reaching implications for livelihoods, policy autonomy and the country’s long-term development trajectory. In a public statement issued, the Forum for Trade Justice described the two agreements as marking a “tectonic shift” in India’s trade policy and cautioned that the projected gains in exports may come at a significant social and economic cost.

From Puri to the State: How Odisha turned the dream of drinkable tap water into policy

By Hans Harelimana Hirwa, Mansee Bal Bhargava Drinking water directly from the tap is generally associated with developed countries where it is considered safe and potable. Only about 50 countries around the world offer drinkable tap water, with the majority located in Europe and North America, and a few in Asia and Oceania. Iceland, Switzerland, Finland, Germany, and Singapore have the highest-quality tap water, followed by Canada, New Zealand, Japan, the USA, Australia, the UK, Costa Rica, and Chile.

Michael Parenti: Scholar known for critiques of capitalism and U.S. foreign policy

By Harsh Thakor* Michael Parenti, an American political scientist, historian, and author known for his Marxist and anti-imperialist perspectives, died on January 24 at the age of 92. Over several decades, Parenti wrote and lectured extensively on issues of capitalism, imperialism, democracy, media, and U.S. foreign policy. His work consistently challenged dominant political and economic narratives, particularly those associated with Western liberal democracies and global capitalism.

Search This Blog