Vijay Bahuguna attacks environment ministry

NEW DELHI: The environment ministry has come under fire, this time from a Congress state government, once again reopening the development vs environment debate within UPA. The chief minister of Uttarakhand has complained about the Union environment ministry to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and party president Sonia Gandhi, accusing it of delaying clearances to hydel power projects in the state.


Vijay Bahuguna met the two here to complain that the state was facing severe constraints in the implementation of development projects because of issues raised frequently by the environment ministry, sources familiar with the matter told ET. Bahuguna, who has to contend with sever infighting within the state unit of the party, declined to comment on whether he had complained to his higher-ups, only saying: “There has to be a balance between development and environmental concerns. My state is reeling under a severe power crisis.”

Bahuguna said if allowed the state government could commission power projects of 800 MW in just one year. A state government source, however, accused the environment ministry of coming up with “strange orders”. “The peculiar problem of the state is that 70% of Uttarakhand has forest cover and it is difficult to carry out development projects, even construction of roads.

But even then there are strange orders coming from the environment ministry. In one stop-work order… they quoted that BJP’s senior central leaders have raised concerns over the relocation and that is why the work needs to be stopped. How can an official order say this?” this source said. Uttarakhand has had a series of run-ins with the environment ministry in the last one year.

A clutch of crucial hydel power projects, notably Loharinag Pala, Maneri Bhali and Nageshwar, have been stalled after environment ministry raised ecological concerns. In Loharinag Pala, state-run utlity NTPC had invested `1,100 crore when the Centre stalled the project. Apart from these projects, which the state considers crucial to revive its dilapidated power sector, the gree ministry had taken on the government over relocation work of Dhari Devi temple on the banks of Alaknanda river.

As per the state’s estimates, it generates around 3,400 MW of electricity when it has the capacity to generate 27,000 MW. Worse, it is forced to buy electricity worth `2 crore every day to make good its increasing power demands. Bahuguna has raised the issue with party high command as his government has been under severe stress. The pressure is more from within rather than the opposition.

The state Congress unit has been plagued by bitter infighting ever since the party high command ruled in favour of Bahuguna and not Harish Rawat for the chief minister’s post.