Opposition corners govt over Adani advisor’s role in environment ministry panel

new DElhi, Nov 15
The Opposition on Tuesday sought to corner the Narendra Modi government over an advisor of the Adani Green Energy Ltd being appointed as a member of the Centre’s Expert Appraisal Committees (EAC) under the Environment Ministry. “Adani Pradhan Sevak appointed Adani employee Janardhan Choudhury as a member of EAC under Environment Ministry. This committee has to approve 6 Adani projects (10,300 MW). Eej of doing bujiness,” the Congress’s Kerala unit posted on X.
Senior RJD leader Manoj Kumar Jha when contacted by The Indian Express said, “What can I say? He (Adani) is the government.” Shiv Sena (UBT) and TMC too attacked the government. The reactions came in response to The Indian Express expose on Tuesday that the Centre on September 27 appointed Janardan Choudhary, an advisor to Adani Green Energy Limited, as a member of the EAC for hydroelectricity and river valley projects before which the company’s hydro project proposals come up for clearance. The Adani Group’s alleged proximity with the Narendra Modi government has been made into a poll issue by the Opposition following the Hindenberg report controversy. Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has consistently attacked the government and PM Narendra Modi for alleged favours given to the group. She claimed the company has plans to develop “another 3.7 giga watt of pumped storage – 1,200 mw Kurukutti, 1,000 mw Karrivalasa, 1,000 mw in Gandi-kota and 500 mw Chitravathi – with an investment of Rs 15,740 crore in Andhra Pradesh”. “What does EAC chair think about conflict of interest? Who are the other members of EAC? Only one of them also happens to be a private company advisor and surprise surprise from AGEL,” she said. “Dosti ho toh aisi na?” Chaturvedi said in her post.
TMC MP Mahua Moitra, who faces expulsion from the Lok Sabha following the Ethics Committee recommendation, said, “Modiji’s Ministry of Environment appointed Adani employee Janardhan Choudhury as member of EAC–6 Adani projects totalling 10300mw up for appraisal by this @moefcc committee.” Former secretary to the government of India EAS Sarma on Tuesday wrote to the Secretary, Environment Ministry, Leena Nandan, asking her to “restore credibility to the statutory process”.
Referring to The Indian Express report in his letter, Sarma underlined that the ministry “ought not to have co-opted an expert having an association with any corporate entity involved in appraising projects, as a member” of the EAC concerned. “As it is, the ministry, instead of constituting an independent statutory body for appraising projects, has vitiated the process to some extent by arrogating to itself the responsibility of subjectively nominating members of the EAC and clearing projects under the Environment (Protection) Act. Compounding such a serious irregularity, nominating representatives of corporate entities as members of an EAC further vitiates the sanctity of the process,” he wrote.
Requesting the Environment Secretary to “take measures to restore credibility, Sarma cautioned: “Otherwise, I am afraid MEFCC would be seen by the public as ‘rubber-stamping’ environment clearances which in turn would hurt the public interest.”