Gujarat minister's "illegal" announcement: Invest in Vapi, Ankaleshwar, Vatva; Centre's moratorium ends

By A Representative
Gujarat’s senior environmentalist and social activist Rohit Prajapati has complained to Prakash Javadekar, Union minister for environment, forests and climate change, and the ministry’s secretary Dr V Rajagopalan, that his Gujarat counterpart Ganpatbhai Vasava has “made an illegal announcement about the lifting of moratorium on industrial cluster Vapi, Ankleshwar and Vatva.” The moratorium, imposed by the former UPA government, bans any fresh investments in the three clusters along with tens of others in India, because of their high levels.
In his complaint, Prapapati, who heads Paryavaran Suraksha Samiti, Vadodara, said, “On July 5, 2014, Vasava announced in a public function organized by industries of the Vapi Gujarat Industrial Development Corporation (GIDC), in media presence, that the moratorium on Vapi is lifted and official announcement will follow soon. Vasava made a similar announcement for the industrial clusters of Ankleshwar and Vatva.”
Prajapati said, Vasava’s statement came despite the fact that the Union ministry “is the only one authorised to take decision to impose, reimpose or lift the moratorium of the industrial clusters of the country.” He added, “The ministry is again the only one authorised to publicly announce in general and to the press on its all decisions. Before any official announcement of the decision nobody has the right to leak or make any announcement like this.”
“If somebody makes an announcement about any decisions of the Union ministry, it is not just illegal but unconstitutional. Such an announcement by other than the ministry should be considered as unconstitutional and not as one that reflects transparency”, the environmentalist said, adding, “As per our information, the Union ministry has issued no notification/ letter/ communication about the lifting of the moratoriums on Vapi, Ankleshwar or Vatva.”
“We would like to confirm with you if any letter was sent by the Union ministry on or before July 5, 2014 that enabled/authorised Vasava or to the additional chief secretary of Gujarat’s forests and environment department to make the announcement in Gujarat regarding lifting of moratorium on the three industrial clusters on behalf of your ministry”, he said, adding, “If any such letter was sent, it should have been uploaded on your website.”
Suspecting that Vasava’s announcement may have been manoeuvred by the industrial lobby, Prajapati said, “The way announcement made by Vasava clearly indicates that he is not concerned about the environment but is working under the pressure of Industrial lobby of Gujarat and he and his government might be involved in manoeuvring the decision of the Union ministry to please the industrial lobby.”
Asking Javadekar “not tolerate such behaviour of any officers and the minister of any state government in the interest of environment”, Prajapati said, “If you do not do that it will send a wrong message to people in general that the Un.ion ministry’s decisions might be manoeuvred by the polluting default industries and it is meaningless to send the complain to the ministry about pollution in the country.”
Prajapati demanded, if no decision has been taken to lift the moratorium, “exemplary action” should be taken against Vasava. Lest, he added, “exemplary action” should be taken against the officers who leaked the information.

Comments

Anonymous said…

NGO should focus on their main subject. Environment protection in balance with development needed by india. They should not indulge into political brownie point game

July 26, 2014

Academics urge Azim Premji University to drop FIR against Student Reading Circle

By A Representative A group of academics and civil society members has issued an open letter to the leadership of Azim Premji University expressing concern over the filing of a police complaint that led to an FIR against a student-run reading circle following a recent incident of violence on campus. The signatories state that they hold the university in high regard for its commitment to constitutional values, critical inquiry and ethical public engagement, and argue that it is precisely because of this reputation that the present development is troubling.

Was Netaji forced to alter face, die in obscurity in USSR in 1975? Was he so meek?

By Rajiv Shah This should sound almost hilarious. Not only did Subhas Chandra Bose not die in a plane crash in Taipei, nor was he the mysterious Gumnami Baba who reportedly passed away on 16 September 1985 in Ayodhya, but we are now told that he actually died in 1975—date unknown—“in oblivion” somewhere in the former Soviet Union. Which city? Moscow? No one seems to know.

UAPA action against Telangana activist: Criminalising legitimate democratic activity?

By A Representative The National Investigation Agency's Hyderabad branch has issued notices to more than ten individuals in Telangana in connection with FIR No. RC-04/2025. Those served include activists, former student leaders, civil rights advocates, poets, writers, retired schoolteachers, and local leaders associated with the Communist Party of India (CPI) and the Indian National Congress.

Asbestos contamination in children’s products highlights global oversight gaps

By A Representative A commentary published by the International Ban Asbestos Secretariat (IBAS) has drawn attention to the challenges governments face in responding effectively to global public-health risks. In an article written by Laurie Kazan-Allen and published on March 5, 2026, the author examines how the discovery of asbestos contamination in children’s play products has raised questions about regulatory oversight and international product safety. The article opens by reflecting on lessons from the COVID-19 pandemic, noting that governments in several countries were slow to respond to early warning signs of the crisis. Referring to the experience of the United Kingdom, the author writes that delays in implementing protective measures contributed to “232,112 recorded deaths and over a million people suffering from long Covid.” The commentary uses this example to illustrate what it describes as the dangers of underestimating emerging threats. Attention then turns...

Aligning too closely with U.S., allies, India’s silence on IRIS Dena raises troubling questions

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat* The reported sinking of the Iranian ship IRIS Dena in the Indian Ocean near Sri Lanka raises troubling questions about international norms and the credibility of the so-called rule-based order. If indeed the vessel was attacked by the American Navy while returning from a joint exercise in Visakhapatnam, it would represent a serious breach of trust and a violation of the principles that govern such cooperative engagements. Warships participating in these exercises are generally not armed for combat; they are meant to symbolize solidarity and friendship. The incident, therefore, is not only shocking but also deeply ironic.

The kitchen as prison: A feminist elegy for domestic slavery

By Garima Srivastava* Kumar Ambuj stands as one of the most incisive voices in contemporary Hindi poetry. His work, stripped of ornamentation, speaks directly to the lived realities of India’s marginalized—women, the rural poor, and those crushed under invisible forms of violence. His celebrated poem “Women Who Cook” (Khānā Banātī Striyāṃ) is not merely about food preparation; it is a searing indictment of patriarchal domestic structures that reduce women’s existence to endless, unpaid labour.

India’s foreign policy at crossroads: Cost of silence in the face of aggression

By Venkatesh Narayanan, Sandeep Pandey The widely anticipated yet unprovoked attack on Iran on March 1 by the United States and Israel has drawn sharp criticism from several quarters around the world. Reports indicate that the strikes have resulted in significant civilian casualties, including 165 elementary school girls, 20 female volleyball players, and many other civilians.

India’s green energy push faces talent crunch amidst record growth at 16% CAGR

By Jag Jivan* A new study by a top consulting firm has found that India’s cleantech sector is entering a decisive growth phase, with strong policy backing, record capacity additions and surging investor interest, but facing mounting pressure on talent supply and rising compensation costs .

Buddhist shrines were 'massively destroyed' by Brahmanical rulers: Historian DN Jha

Nalanda mahavihara By Rajiv Shah Prominent historian DN Jha, an expert in India's ancient and medieval past, in his new book , "Against the Grain: Notes on Identity, Intolerance and History", in a sharp critique of "Hindutva ideologues", who look at the ancient period of Indian history as "a golden age marked by social harmony, devoid of any religious violence", has said, "Demolition and desecration of rival religious establishments, and the appropriation of their idols, was not uncommon in India before the advent of Islam".

Search This Blog