Rohit Prajapati

37, Patrakar Colony, Tandalja Road, Vadodara – 390 020, Gujarat

Phone / Fax: 0265-2320399, Email No: [email protected]

_______________________________________________________________________

Date: 11 July 2014

To,

Mr. Prakash Javadekar

The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change

Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, Jor Bagh Road, New Delhi – 110 003

 

Dr V. Rajagopalan

The Secretary

Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change

Indira Paryavaran Bhavan, Jor Bagh Road, New Delhi – 110 003

 

Subject: Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of Gujarat had made an illegal announcement about the lifting of moratorium of Industrial Cluster Vapi, Ankleshwar and Vatva of Gujarat State.

Sirs,

On 5 July 2014, Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of Gujarat, announced in a public function organized by Industries of Vapi GIDC, in media presence that the moratorium on Vapi is lifted and official announcement will follow soon. Mr. Ganpatbhai Vasava similarly announced for the Industrial Cluster Ankleshwar and Vatva of Gujarat State.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change is the only one authorised to take decision to impose or re-impose or to lift the moratorium of the industrial clusters of the country. The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change is again the only one authorised to publicly announce in general and to the press on its all decisions.

Before any official announcement of the decisions nobody has the right to leak or make any announcement about the decisions of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change. If somebody makes an announcement about any decisions of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, it is not just illegal but unconstitutional. Such an announcement by other than the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change should be considered as unconstitutional and not as one that reflects transparency of the ministry.

As per our information available, on the MoEF’s website no notification / letter / communication is issued about the lifting of the moratorium of Industrial Cluster Vapi, and/or Ankleshwar, and/or Vatva of Gujarat State as on July 10, 2014. Without such an announcement by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change it is not just illegal but unconstitutional on the part of Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of Gujarat to make an announcement about the lifting of the moratorium of Industrial Cluster Vapi, and/or Ankleshwar, and/or Vatva of Gujarat State.

We would like to confirm with you  if any letter was sent by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change on or before 5 July 2014 that enabled/authorised Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Gujarat State  and/or to Additional Chief Secretary of Forests and Environment Department of Gujarat State to make the announcement in Gujarat regarding lifting of moratorium of Industrial Cluster Vapi, and/or Ankleshwar, and/or Vatva of Gujarat State on behalf of ‘The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change’, Government of India. If any such letter was sent to Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Gujarat State and/or to Additional Chief Secretary of Forests and Environment Department of Gujarat State, make that letter public and upload the copy of the letter on your website.

If what is stated by Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of Gujarat about the lifting of the moratorium of Industrial Cluster Vapi, and/or Ankleshwar, and/or Vatva of Gujarat State is true then it clearly indicates that ministry’s decisions are either manoeuvred by the industrial lobby and various state governments or you have to provide the clear cut explanation in public for that.

The way announcement is made by Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Government of Gujarat clearly indicates that he is not concerned about the environment but he is working under the pressure of Industrial lobby of Gujarat and he and his government might be involved in manoeuvring the decision of the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change to please the industrial lobby.

The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change should not tolerate such behaviour of any officers and the minister of any state governments in the interest of environment. If you do not do that it will sent the wrong message to people in general that the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change’s decisions might be manoeuvred by the polluting default industries and it is meaningless to send the complain to the ministry about pollution in the country.

We demand that;

(1)   If no letter is sent by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change on or before 5 July 2014 to Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Gujarat State and/or to Additional Chief Secretary of Forests and Environment Department of Gujarat State to make the announcement in Gujarat regarding lifting of moratorium of Industrial Cluster Vapi, and/or Ankleshwar, and/or Vatva of Gujarat State on behalf of ‘The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change’, Government of India then take the exemplary action against Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Gujarat State for their illegal and unconstitutional act.

(2)   Take exemplary action against the officers who leaked the information from ‘The Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change’, Government of India.

 

Rohit Prajapati

[ROHIT PRAJAPATI]

Environment Activist, Gujarat

Copy to

(1)      Mr. Ganpatbhai Vestabhai Vasava, Minister of Forest and Environment, Tribal Development, Legislative and Parliamentary, Government of Gujarat, 1st Floor, Swarnim Sankul – 1, New Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar

(2)      Mr. H. K. Dash, Additional Chief Secretary of Forests and Environment Department 14th Block, 8th Floor, Sachivalaya, Gandhinagar.