The TSR Subramanian committee report, that has outlined revision of key environmental laws, should be junked as it would result in an unacceptable dilution of existing legal and policy meant to protect environment, a parliamentary panel report on environment and forest said. The TSR Subramanian led high-level committee was constituted in August last year by ministry of environment, forests and climate change to suggest recommendations for overhauling six key environmental laws.
The high-level committee's functioning and its recommendations had copped severe criticism from civil society and environmental experts alike and thus, the parliamentary panel examined it in detail. After speaking to over 43 stakeholders and experts, the panel concluded that the "government…may consider appointing another committee by following established procedures and comprising of acclaimed experts in the field" to look at environmental policy afresh.
It added, "(the committee) should be given enough time to enter into comprehensive consultations with all stakeholders so that the recommendations are credit worthy and well considered which is not the case with the recommendations of high level committee under review." Majority of depositions before the parliamentary panel were critical of the committee, the panel noted, and they highlighted that the high-level committee did not hold enough and adequate public hearings to elicit public views. Further, only select groups were invited in he meetings, organized in a few metropolitan cities and among smaller cities only in Mangalore, environmentalists and stakeholders were invited to a meeting, the report said.
The high-level committee also delved into legislations and issues that were beyond their stated mandate, the panel noted from stakeholders. In their final report, the TSR Subramanian committee gave recommendations on the Forest Rights Act, 2006, and the National Green Tribunal. Environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta of Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment told the panel, "The HLC knew that these are the two laws which have worked and which are the hope for environmental movement that have given a new voice and a new right to the forest dwellers while the National Green Tribunal is dealing with more than 5,000 cases."
The report concludes by asking that the three months allotted to the high level Committee for reviewing the six environmental Acts was too short and that there was no cogent reason for hurrying through with the report without comprehensive, meaningful and wider consultations with all stakeholders.
