WWF lackeys write a letter to PM complaining against Environment Ministry

WWF find Jayanti Natarajan, Union Minister of Environment  an obstacle to their climate change objectives and other “green” designs they have on India.

So what do they do? 

Get their lackeys in India, the likes of Bittu Sahgal of Sanctuary magazine, Mahendra Vyas, who was once on Supreme Court's Centrally Empowered Committee on forestry issues, Brijendra Singh, Divyabhanu Singh Chavda, Prerna Singh Bindra, Satpuda Foundation, Bombay Natural History Society, Nature Conservation Foundation etc to complain about her to the Prime Minister and then use the letter for their Supreme Court plea which they are planning to submit.

But the WWF itself is the most inefficient organization as the chart below illustrates:

  

Non-government wildlife experts on board the PM-chaired National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) are planning to write a joint letter to PM Manmohan Singh complaining of alleged illegalities and malpractices of the environment ministry.

In a move that could further embarrass the government, they are also considering using the letter to the PM later in the Supreme Court to oppose some green clearances given by the ministry and some other decisions.

TOI accessed communications between the non-official members discussing the possible use of the planned letter to the PM in the Supreme Court to take up cudgels against the functioning and decisions of the environment ministry.

The National Board of Wildlife is headed by PM with the environment minister as vice-chairperson and comprises senior government officials across ministries. It also has five wildlife NGO representatives and 10 wildlife experts nominated by the government. It is slated to meet on September 5. The panel decides on larger wildlife policy issues. A select set of board members constitute the standing committee which meets more frequently.

The letter, which has already been agreed to by some of the non-official members, includes a list of complaints alleging how the ministry was over-riding the views of the experts to clear projects and obfuscating their dissent in official records.

The draft letter cites specific instances of alleged malpractices within the government, asking the PM to 'undo the damage' and restore the 'credibility of the environment ministry'. Only a couple of non-official members have opposed the move from the beginning of the discussions.

The non-official experts and NGOs on the NBWL include Valmik Thapar, ex-environment secretary M K Ranjitsinh, Bittu Sahgal of Sanctuary magazine, Mahendra Vyas, who was once on Supreme Court's Centrally Empowered Committee on forestry issues, Brijendra Singh, Divyabhanu Singh Chavda, Prerna Singh Bindra, Satpuda Foundation, Bombay Natural History Society, Nature Conservation Foundation among others.

Exchanges between the members show discussions on the possibility that the issues raised and complaints made in the letter may not make it to the formal agenda of the NBWL before the prime minister. But one member, the discussions note, has suggested that the language and content of the letter when signed by the experts could be used in the Supreme Court 'to give justice to some of the issues especially on the projects that were unanimously rejected by the non-official members'.

The discussions suggest a strategic move on part of some wildlife experts on board the NBWL to get the backing of the group on the letter which blames the ministry for several malpractices and then use it in court case to get clearances cancelled. The draft letter cites specific cases where the ministry allegedly overlooked their strong objection to projects and in some cases allegedly even provided false information to the apex court to get a green nod.

There have been some differences between the members on the tone and content of the letter to the PM and in order to overcome these, sources in the group told TOI that a meeting in Delhi has been proposed to hammer out a consensus before the PM holds the NBWL meeting on September 5.

Many members have separately asked the environment and forests minister to put up other issues close to their hearts on the NBWL agenda which includes tribal rights under the Forest Rights Act, ecotourism, the separation of the ministry into distinct environment and forests departments, creation of critical wildlife habitats and the powers and functioning of the NBWL and its standing committee.

Thapar has already gone public on his objections to the eco-tourism guidelines proposed by the government, which the ministry too decided to review under pressure from the tourism lobby.

The agenda of the NBWL meeting as finalized by the PMO along with the environment ministry has been sent out but the letter by the non-official experts in the works could lead to unexpected fireworks as well as embarrassment for the government.