Unlike UPA, NDA government balancing environment and development: Prakash Javadekar

VIJAYAWADA: The NDA government is striking a balance between development needs and environment protection unlike the previous UPA regime when the then Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh declared that development was not his priority, Union Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.

"Today, our motto is development without destruction. We will ensure development. But, we will also protect the environment. So, development and environment both hand in hand. Not against each other.

"Now, Rahul Gandhi is giving a new lecture. My predecessor Jairam Ramesh said development is not the work of environment ministry. I said, yes, development is also my job and environment protection is also my job. We will do both," Javadekar, Union Minister of State for Environment (independent charge) said here.

Alleging that "some parties are interested to keep poor people as permanently poor", he said the NDA government would balance environment protection and development to "change the fate of the poor".

The government's agenda is 'Swachh Bharat' that would promote cleanliness and greenery, he said, adding that the 14th Finance Commission has given substantial funds towards the objective of forest promotion.

The states would get a good share of the amount, he said.

The Centre would positively consider Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu's request for setting up a biodiversity park among others in the state, Javadekar said.

He expressed confidence that Andhra Pradesh, with its capital Amaravati, coming up in the Vijayawada region, would make rapid strides in development.

He was addressing a public meeting on promotion of greenery along with Naidu.