The Hindu : BJP CMs for change in environment laws

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Jan 22, 2004

National

National

BJP CMs for change in environment laws

By Neena Vyas

NEW DELHI, JAN. 21. With the general elections looming large on the horizon, the Chief Ministers of the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled States today suggested drastic changes in the laws that regulate the country's coastline and forest areas. It appears that the Government has agreed to consider their suggestions.

While the Chief Ministers of Goa and Gujarat wanted the Centre to legislate to undo the present laws regulating the coastline and empower the States to pass their own laws in this regard, those of Arunachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh wanted changes in the forest laws to enable them to distribute van pattas to those who have been tilling the land for 25 to 30 years.

This, they said, was a long-standing demand of many tribals who depended on minor forest produce for a livelihood.

The suggestions were made at a meeting of Chief Ministers of BJP-ruled States convened by the Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, on the request of the party. Development issues were discussed at the Prime Minister's residence and suggestions were made on how initiatives and implementation of programmes could be speeded up. In short, an "in depth review of development work in the States, sector wise, was undertaken".

The Finance Minister, Jaswant Singh, took suggestions from the Chief Ministers on how the Centre could help them on specific projects. The Deputy Prime Minister, L.K. Advani, and the BJP president, Venkaiah Naidu, were present.

Mr. Vajpayee is reported to have described the meeting as "fruitful and useful" and congratulated the Chief Ministers on their good work on the development front.

Post lunch, the venue of the meeting shifted to Mr. Naidu's residence, where the political situation in these States was discussed. Suggestions were made on how to conduct the campaign and the campaign themes.

Briefing presspersons later, Mr. Naidu said the Government was actively considering the suggestions on changes in law. Apparently, the Chief Ministers presented a report on development activities in their State and spoke on the welfare measures taken.

They were asked to focus on bijli, sadak aur pani (electricity, roads and water) especially, for these were the issues that helped the BJP win the three Assembly elections recently.

On the political front, the Chief Ministers' response to the move for early elections was positive, Mr. Naidu said.

It was decided that the coordination between the party organisation and the government wings in the States must be improved, that they must learn from each other in the way of initiatives taken in other States and that they must ensure that the benefit of the Government programmes reach the grassroots.

Asked whether the overall Lok Sabha seats' tally of the BJP in these seven States was expected to improve in 2004, Mr. Naidu said while it was "too early as yet" to talk about specific numbers, "the overall mood is upbeat".

He indirectly admitted that there had been "some problems in Jharkhand", but the "contentious issues" such as the "domicile policy" had been sorted out and that "there was no question at all of any change of Chief Minister in the State".

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