I/III. http://www.dnaindia.com/money/report-why-did-environment-ministry-withdraw-rs-200-crore-penalty-on-adani-ports-2230425
Why did Environment Ministry withdraw Rs 200-crore penalty on Adani Ports? DNA WEB TEAM | Sat, 2 Jul 2016-03:57pm , Mumbai , dna webdesk After an investigation conducted in 2012, the UPA government had imposed a fine of Rs 200 crore on Adani Ports for damage caused by its Mundra port project in Gujarat. The environmental ministry has quietly withdrawn the Rs 200-crore fine imposed on Adani Ports during the UPA government reign, a Business Standard report has said. The government's move to overturn an earlier verdict where Adani Ports was found to be guilty of causing widespread damage to the environment act, was found when documents of the investigation between 2012 and 2016 were accessed through the Right to Information Act, 2016, by Kanchi Kohli of the Centre for Policy Research-Namati Program, the BS report says. The documents show that some new senior officials, newly appointed, helped overturn the decision on Adani Ports. What is the case? At 200 crore, it is the biggest-ever fine levied on a company for causing damage to the environment. The case pertains to the “destruction of local ecology, mangroves, creeks and illegal reclamation of land,” unearthed by the Sunita Narain Committee that was set up to investigate the company’s Mundra project in Gujarat," the report says. After the investigation, the Committee recommended a ban on the Mundra project’s North Port, the report says, and sought a fine of Rs 200 crore or 1% of the project cost, whichever was higher. This was way beyond the Rs 1 lakh penalty that the Environmental Protection Act prescribes, the report says. How did it happen? Despite the company denying any wrongdoings and Gujarat government backing the project, the Ministry went ahead and imposed the Rs 200-crore fine on Adani Ports. However, a final decision on the matter was pending, the report says. In the meantime, the Business Standard Report says, Jayanthi Natarajan was replaced Veerappa Moily as the environmental minister, and eventually by Prakash Javadekar of the NDA government. The report says that Javadekar questioned how the damage to the mangroves was ascertained, the new senior officials said satellite data revealed the damage but it couldn’t be said for certain if Mundra project was responsible for the damage. It says, this explanation was accepted, and the Rs 200 crore fine was dropped by Javadekar. II/III. NEW DELHI, July 3, 2016 Updated: July 3, 2016 04:01 IST Green fine on Adani port not waived: Ministry SPECIAL CORRESPONDENT The Ministry of Environment and Forests, in a late night statement on Saturday, said the Adani Port and SEZ Ltd (APSEZ), may have to pay a fine far greater than what was fixed by the UPA government in 2012, for the environmental damage caused by the construction of its port project in Mundra, Gujarat. However, it also underlined that a “fine” of Rs 200 crore, imposed on the company during the UPA government’s tenure “was not backed by any law under the Environment Protection Act and not legally correct.” The ministry issued a statement signed by Bishwanath Sinha, Joint Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). Sunita Narain report This was in response to a media report on Saturday that claimed that the APSEZ was spared from a Rs 200 crore fine that was imposed on the company in 2013. That year, the United Progressive Alliance had issued a show cause notice to M/s Adani Port and SEZ Ltd. based on a report by a committee chaired by Sunita Narain, Director General, Centre for Science and Environment. The report — based on an investigation and made public through a Right to Information query — recommended that an Environment Relief Fund (ERF) worth one per cent of the project cost or Rs 200 crore, whichever was higher, ought to be created to remedy any environmental damage incurred. It had also recommended the North Port, a key part of the project, be done away with to preserve the area’s ecological balance. Other recommendations include steps to conserve mangroves, manage and dispose of flyash, control salinity, and prepare for disasters that affect coastal zones. However, the UPA government in April 2014 noted that the “creation of ERF as not supported by any Law,” said Mr Sinha. Not withstanding that, the NDA government has also accepted the recommendations of the Sunita Narain Committee and, in its statement, said it had imposed stringent conditions with open ended financial commitment by APSEZL. “It is amply clear that MoEF&CC has not withdrawn its demand for Rs.200 crore restoration fund. The decision of the ministry is much more stringent than asking for Rs 200 crore from APSEZL,” the statement noted. Calls and text messages by The Hindu to Ms Sunita Narain and Mr. Sinha were not returned. The Adani group has also been fined Rs 25 crore by the National Green Tribunal for environmental damage caused by its Hazira Port in Gujarat. III. https://twitter.com/nit_set -- Peace Is Doable -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To unsubscribe from this group and stop receiving emails from it, send an email to [email protected]. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. 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