Times of India: New Delhi: Wednesday,
May 18, 2016.
The Central
Information Commission (CIC) on Tuesday asked the environment and forests
ministry to make public the report of the Shailesh Nayak committee, which had
looked into issues raised by states affected by Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ)
rules in 2011.
The first CRZ
notification, issued in 1991, gave powers to the central government to restrict
activities around the country's ecologically sensitive coastal belt which spans
over 7,500 km. The notification was thereafter amended 25 times before being revised
in 2011.
The
government is facing criticism that changes brought in the CRZ rules since 2014
almost run parallel to the process of a special committee set up to review the
CRZ notification.
Nayak,
secretary, ministry of earth sciences, headed the committee which submitted its
report early in 2015.
When activist
Kanchi Kohli, associated with Centre for Policy Research, Namati Environment
Justice Programme, sought a copy of the report and file notings through RTI
Act, the MoEF said it was "in submission with the minister and cannot be
provided".
Kohli said
the report "must have analysed the errors and inconsistencies" of the
CRZ notifications, without examining which seven amendments were notified since
January 2015, facilitating heavy constructions and coastal roads.
Information
commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said the sustainability of development in
coastal zones was a serious concern. Acharyulusaid the CPIO did not even
mention the exact grounds under Section 8(1) for denial of details.
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