Jairam Ramesh for settling growth-ecology conflict in democratic way

CUTTACK: Congress parliamentarian and former Union minister Jairam Ramesh has suggested the conflict between economic growth and environmental protection should be settled within the country's democratic framework.

"You cannot have economic growth with environment protection if you ignore the basic democratic values of the country," the Rajya Sabha MP said.

Delivering the Bibudhendra Misra memorial lecture on 'Ecology, Growth and Democracy in India' here last night, Ramesh appreciated the present NDA government's focus on accelerating the rate of economic growth but suggested it has to be inclusive and sustainable.

"We need faster economic growth but if it (the growth) imposes intolerable burden on our natural resources, the growth will not be sustainable," he said.

In order to make growth sustainable, law of the land will have to be implemented and enforced in letter and spirit and for this the institutions safeguarding them must function professionally and transparently, he added.

Ramesh said India should address environmental problems on priority basis while trading on the path of growth because of its demographic peculiarities, global climatic changes, health hazards due to pollution, and livelihood issues it faces.

"We Indians delight in passing laws but take great delight in by-passing the laws," he said on a lighter note.

Presided over by Ravenshaw University V-C Prof P K Sarangi, the memorial lecture was also addressed by late Bibudhendra Misra's close associate freedom fighter Bhabani Patnaik and former advocate general and eminent lawyer Jayant Das.