The opposition to several development projects in the country by a significant number of non-governmental organisations (NGOs), including Greenpeace, will have a negative impact on the economic growth by two to three per cent, warns an Intelligence Bureau report.
The IB report ‘Impact of NGOs on Development,’ claims the NGOs and their international donors are also planning to target many fresh economic development projects including those in Gujarat.
The report, which has been sent to the Prime Minister’s Office, the Home Minister, the National Security Adviser, the Finance Minister and others, alleged that the NGOs work for stalling development projects along with agitations against nuclear power plants, uranium mines, coal-fired power plants and hydel projects.
In a section related to protests against coal mines and coal-fired power projects, the report alleged Greenpeace expanded its activities to oppose coal-fired power plants and coal mining and received Rs. 45 crore from abroad in the last seven years.
“It is using foreign funds to create protest movements under ‘Coal Network’ umbrella at prominent coal block and coal-fired power plant locations in India,” the report said.
Reacting to the charge Greenpeace said “we believe that this (IB) report is designed to muzzle and silence civil society who raise their voices against injustices to people and the environment by asking uncomfortable questions about the current model of growth.”
Instead of destroying India’s forests to access coal underneath, India should embrace renewable energy and energy efficiency to meet rapidly-increasing energy needs, it said in a statement.
The IB report alleged that since 2013, Greenpeace has initiated protests in five project-affected villages of Mahaan (in Madhya Pradesh) coal block allocated to Essar and Hindalco under the banner of Mahaan Sangarsh Samiti.