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Documents accessed by @HuffPostIndia reveal a blow-by-blow account of how the Modi govt is evading public scrutiny of its actions by using the #coronavirus lockdown to ram through controversial dilutions to one of India's most important environmental laws. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
The story begins on March 23 when the environment ministry first uploaded the draft EIA Notification of 2020 on its website seeking public feedback till May 22. In other words, two days before the country was to go into a #lockdown https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
On April 11, the draft notification — thus far available only on the ministry website – was published in the official Gazette of India. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
On April 22, file notings record a discussion involving ministry officials on the nature and amount of mostly-critical feedback the draft notification had received. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
The next day, on April 23, an official prepared a note summarising what he said were 1,144 critical comments seeking that the notification process be deferred. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
One excerpt included in the note offers a flavour of the criticism: “Now you propose to make regressive changes to the EIA notification at a time when we simply cannot respond to your call for public comments. Is this democratic? Is this fair?" https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
The same day, another official said she had received over 4000 such comments as well. She suggested the consultation time period be extended till 10 August 2020. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
By May 4, the day the latest phase of the #lockdown was announced, documents suggest bureaucrats in the environment ministry had arrived at a consensus. A special notification was drafted to extend the consultation period until August 10. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
The file was sent to Javedekar on the same day. Javadekar replied the next day with nothing more than his signature and “30 June 2020” penned in his own hand. No reason recorded, no explanation offered for the seemingly arbitrary decision. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
Two days later, on May 7, 2020, the PIB put out a press release announcing that the consultation period was extended till 30 June 2020. It does not give any reason for deciding the date either. https://bit.ly/2YuIiKt
Recently, former environment minister Jairam Ramesh said the decisions in MoEF&CC are being taken elsewhere. It is unclear exactly who he was referring to. Here is an eg of outside influence on MoEF decisions. https://bit.ly/3dzDV52
This is another example of external influence on MoEF&CC's decisions. https://bit.ly/2Z7k34i
