Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K. Rosaiah is determined to see that mega projects are not derailed because of protests over environmental issues by non-governmental organisations and other interest groups aimed at influencing the Centre.
As a part of his approach in this direction, he constituted a Group of Ministers (GoM) on Wednesday to pursue with the Centre the pending environmental and forest clearances for the proposed projects. This decision comes close on the heels of a letter he wrote to Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh expressing concern over the problems caused to power projects by protests by social activists. He said issues raised by them were affecting some projects even though 20,000 MW of proposed power projects in the State have necessary environment clearances.
At the Cabinet meeting, Mr. Rosaiah reportedly expressed concern over the delays faced by new projects in securing Central clearances following the police firing on farmers agitating against the thermal power project at Sompeta in Srikakulam district last month. Expressing dismay over the attitude of the Opposition, he said unless new power plants were established, the State could not tide over the power shortage.
Revenue Minister Dharmana Prasada Rao, who was in the eye of a storm over clearances given to the Sompeta project, is understood to have opted out of the GoM.
Mr. Rosaiah, in his letter,, expressed the hope that the Centre would see that the clearances accorded following due procedures were not interfered with in any manner based on certain presumptive petitions.
Violation alleged
Mr. Ramesh had stated in Parliament that permission to three power projects and one aluminium smelter refiner project in the State were suspended for alleged violation of the Forest Conservation Act.
