Press release - September 9, 2014
New Delhi, September 9, 2014: Greenpeace India condemns the government's efforts to do away with tribal consent for destruction of forests as per media reports. The NDA government has been sending feelers ever since they came to power that they will be easing off environment norms and it seems that they are determined to undermine the laws of the land to fast-track clearances to big ticket infrastructure and mining projects, the NGO said.
"The proposed move should be seen in light of the recent Supreme Court order that deems all coal blocks allotted during the coal scam period as illegal because of the arbitrary and mindless manner in which they were allocated. With de-allocation of coal blocks becoming a possibility, the NDA government is now frantically looking at speedy re-allocations and environment and forest clearances. If they override existing constitutional rights, this is the coal scam now being replaced by a tribal right scam," says Nandikesh Sivalingam, forest campaigner with Greenpeace India.