NEW DELHI: An RTI enquiry has found that a high-level committee, formed by the ministry of earth sciences and climate change to review environmental laws, was not constituted according to requisite administrative procedure.

The committee, headed by former cabinet secretary T S R Subramaniam, was tasked to review six environmental, forest and wildlife laws, including the Air and Water Act. An RTI application dated October 1, 2014, was filed before the ministry by NGO EIA Resource and Response Center seeking bio-data of the panel members. The reply states that the information is not available with the ministry.

The members of the committee are retired judges and bureaucrats. The RTI plea also revealed that the committee had been formed under rules and regulations notified under an Act of Parliament. However, it does not mention which Act that might be. The RTI also sought information on whether the PM or the cabinet secretary's approval has been taken before it was set up. But the reply only stated that approval of the ministry has been obtained.

Members of the NGO said the committee has been formed without examination of their suitability in the field of environmental, forest and wildlife laws. "From the response it is clear that the ministry made no effort to check the background of the people who have been entrusted with this task," an NGO statement said.

"This only reflects the casual manner in which this committee has been constituted. Review of environmental law is a serious task and requires both expertise as well as effective public consultation," environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta said.