Ahmedabad, 13 July 2014

Union Minister of Environment and Forest, Parliamentary Affairs and Information and Broadcasting Prakash Javdekar on Sunday addressed media persons in Ahmedabad and interacted with them on various issues. Following are some of the highlights of the question/answer session:

Speedy decisions in key areas:

We are taking policy decision. Say for example, we are giving priority to liner projects for public use like road construction, railway, transmission line, gas pipeline for speedy decision. We put border road permissions in general approval criteria for local disposal. I don’t wish that every file should come to me and need my sign. We are decentralized the decisions.

On permission to allow expansion of industry in Vatva, Ankleshwar and Vapi:

In two weeks, I will meet Gujarat’s two ministers. Chief Minister is also welcomed if she wishes to attend the meeting. We are meeting each Chief Minister and officers of various states, and therefore decisions are arriving fast.

On pending environment clearance to Narmada canal in Rann of Kutch(wild ass sanctuary):

National Board of Wild life will be announced in two-three days and all pending projects will come to discussion before it.

On special assistance to Lions

When a journo asked why Gujarat shouldn’t get assistance for conservation of lions at par with Tiger Project, Javdekar said he welcomes this suggestion.

On ban on live telecast of Gujarat assembly sessions

When journalists raised this issue before Javdekar who is Information and Broadcasting Minister, he replied this is the issue under purview of assembly Speaker and it is not proper for him to comment on this issue.

On Modi’s foreign visit

Javdekar said he just returned from Paris today morning. He said he visited Nairobi too recently to attend UN Environment Assembly. He said all environment ministers from all over the world were curious about new government in India. They were hopeful that India will change with new government in place. He said when he attended a meeting of environment ministers from twenty major countries, he found that people from across the world want to start dialogue with new government in India.

On relocation of Lions in Madhya Pradesh

The decisions are taken by Wild Life Board, and we don’t interfere much. The issue is in court and we are reviewing the developments on this issue.

On Radio and Doordarshan

Javdekar said, government will ensure that Doordarshan is available on all platform, but then the viewers have remote control in their hand and they shall watch Doordarshan only if good content is there. Javdekar also said that AM radio stations will be converted to FM because in many new radio sets there’s only provision of FM and not AM.

On chance of opposition leadership in Lok Sabha

Javdekar said people have not given mandate to Congress either to stay in power or to lead opposition. Government can hardly help Congress in this connection.