A House panel on Monday said it was "strange" that the Environment Ministry was not ready to "accept" studies linking mortality with air pollution as it recommended restricting use of personal vehicles through an efficient and cost-effective public transport system.
The parliamentary panel also asked the Government to encourage clean vehicle technologies through "fiscal incentives". The committee noted that the problem of air pollution is "real, widespread and critical" which also finds support in studies conducted by Central Pollution Control Board and other Government agencies itself.
The committee found it "strange and ironical" that the Ministry is neither ready to "rely on or accept" epidemiological studies linking mortality with air pollution conducted by reputed international institutes.