Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the government has accepted the TSR Subramaniam committee report for "consideration" and not in "totality" and it had "no objection" with a Parliamentary Panel reviewing the report.
This comes a day after Parliamentary Standing Committee (PSC) on Science and Technology, Environment and Forest headed by MP Ashwani Kumar heard the views of experts on the matter in the wake of media reports that the high-powered committee's recommendations may "weaken" green laws.
"It (high-powered committee) has submitted a report. That report we have accepted for consideration. You thought we have accepted in totality. No. This is acceptance for consideration.
"So we are discussing it. Now it is in the public domain and standing committee is doing the examination. We have no objection to it. We want good suggestion," Javadekar said while interacting with reporters at Indian Women's Press Corp here.
The panel took note of the views of experts against the backdrop of several "reservations" and "apprehensions" expressed by them about the recommendations made by the high- powered committee which was constituted by the government to look at the various environmental laws.
Javadekar said that after a certain period one has to review whether the "intended benefit" of the green norms has taken place or not.
"High-powered committee has submitted certain suggestion. After a certain period, you need to review whether the intended benefit has occurred or not, whether intended development or environment protection has happened or not, what are the bottlenecks. So, a high-powered committee was appointed," he said.
Chairman of the PSC, Ashwani Kumar had yesterday told reporters that there is already "disquiet" among many environmentalists and the people at large say that this report may actually not serve its purpose.
"These are important recommendations and have been debated in the media for the last few days. It was but natural that the committee had to know what these recommendations were and what will be its impact on environment.
"Many people are of the view, which has come out through the media reports, that these recommendations can weaken the environmental laws. That is why it was important for us to discuss them," Kumar said yesterday.
The panel will review the important green laws enacted between 1971 and 1986.
The four-member committee, headed by former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanian, had been asked to review five key green laws concerning protection and conservation of environment, forest, wildlife, water and air among others.
These laws include Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.