TSR Subramanian Committee Submits Report to Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change

The TSR Subramanian Committee submitted its report to Prakash Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forests and Climate Change on November 18, 2014. The Committee was constituted to review the processes, laws and Acts of the Ministry. Speaking on the occasion.

Javadekar said that the Report would strengthen processes to balance developmental commitments and environment protection. The recommendations of the Report would enhance Ministry’s efforts to avoid undue delays and ensure transparency in clearances and implementation of projects. 

The Minister stated that Ministry would expedite consultations with all stakeholders for the timely implementation of the recommendations of the Committee. 

Subramanian, Chairman of the Committee, said that the committee had built on the existing mechanisms to optimize the efforts to balance developmental imperatives causing least possible damage to environment. The committee had undertaken wide-ranging consultations with stakeholders and formulated action points to streamline Ministry’s efforts to strengthen institutions and processes.

The Ministry had appointed the High Level Committee (HLC) to review the following Acts administered by the Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.

(i)                Environment (Protection) Act, 1986

(ii)              Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980

(iii)             Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972

(iv)            The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974

(v)              The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act,   1981

The terms of reference were as follows:-

 (i)     To assess the status of implementation of each of the above Acts vis-a-vis the  objectives;

(ii)   To examine and take into account various court orders and judicial pronouncements relating to these Acts;

(iii)  To recommend specific amendments needed in each of these Acts so as to bring them in line with current requirements to meet objectives; and

(iv)  To draft proposed amendments in each of the above Acts to give effect to the proposed recommendations.

The composition of the Committee was as follows:-

(1)        T.S.R. Subramanian, Chairman

(2)            Viswanath Anand, Member

(3)             Justice (Retd.) A.K. Srivastav, Member

(4)             K.N. Bhat, Member