Opposition leader V S Achuthanandan said here on February 20 that Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was an ‘’environmental bandit’’ and the Government under him was aiding and abetting the plunder of natural resources of the state.
He told a news conference that the LDF was duty-bound to mobilise popular protest against the illegal activities of the government.
‘’After the solar scam, the Chief Minister has transformed into an environmental bandit. He is worse than forest brigand Veerappan,’’ VS alleged. VS asked the Government to cancel the licence given to 5 multi-story buildings and 17 illegal quarries and order a comprehensive probe by an independent agency into the granting of licences in violation of the environmental rules. He warned that if the government did not initiate action he would move the Green Tribunal against the government’s decision.
VS alleged that the Chief Minister had brought in an ineligible person through covert means to the post of director of the Environment and Climate Change Department.
P Sreekandan Nair, who was just an environmental assistant scientist at the Pollution Control Board, was appointed as director when the required qualification for the post was Masters Degree in Environmental Sciences and 15 years’ experience.
He also alleged that Sreekandan Nair had given wrong information in his biodata. VS also said he had enough records to prove that Sreekandan Nair was ineligible for the job.
VS alleged that the government had forced out Muthunayakam, the chairman of the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, citing his old age. He said that as per a Central Government circular any eligible person could be appointed as chairman up to the age of 75 and allowed to continue in service for three years from the date of appointment.
VS pointed out that the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority has currently three members after the resignation of Muthunayagam. K P Joy, P Sreekandan Nair and an Additional Chief secretary (Forests). VS said the Chief Minister should reveal what qualification K P Joy had to be appointed as one of the members of the Authority. VS said that the appraisal committee of the Authority has the responsibility to scrutinise the applications submitted to the Authority and submit its report within 45 days. But Sreekandan Nair, who is the member- secretary of the committee, always kept the applications for environmental clearance in abeyance and filed false reports to mislead the committee to give licence to the projects. Muthunayagam had clearly stated this in his report, VS said.
VS also alleged that Sreekandan Nair submitted the report in favour of Aranmula airport project after a visit to Aranmula without assistance from anyone.
