RTI for citizens Right to Information: [rti_india] WGEEP report and further developments [2 Attachments]

[Attachment(s) from Madhav Gadgil included below]

Dear Friends, I had the privilege to serve on a Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, GoI. Our principal mandate was to:

(i) To assess the current status of ecology of the Western Ghats region.

(ii) To demarcate areas within the Western Ghats Region which need to be notified as ecologically sensitive and to recommend for notification of such areas as ecologically sensitive zones under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

(iii) To make recommendations for the conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the Western Ghats Region following a comprehensive consultation process involving people and Governments of all the concerned States.

With great sincerity we did our job. Basically this was a scientific task of deciding on a set of criteria for declaration of Ecologically Sensitive Zones on the Western Ghats, putting together a spatial database on ecological parameters for the Western Ghats, delineating potential ecologically sensitive zones, and suggesting a strategy for conservation, protection and rejuvenation of the Western Ghats Region, in view of our delineation of ecological sensitivity.
We conducted very wide ranging consultations with civil society, all state governments, MoEF officials, elected representatives ranging from Gram Panchayat members to MPs and Ministers and CMs.We published a scientific paper based on the initial formulation of criteria for public discussion in India's premier scientific fortnightly, Current Science in January 2011.
We submitted our report as required on August 30, 2011. We were told that it will be released at a public function on 21 September 2011. On 19 September 2011 we were informed that the report is not going to be made public for the present, and that we should not release it or discuss it publicly.
Beyond that, our report has obviously set in motion a fascinating series of developments.
On April 9, 2012 Central Information Commissioner passed an important order, and I quote from it:

If such reports are put in public domain, citizens' views and concerns can be articulated in a scientific and reasonable manner. If the Government has reasons to ignore the reports, these should logically be put before people. Otherwise, citizens would believe that the Government's decisions are arbitrary or corrupt. Such a trust deficit would never be in the interest of the Nation.

The disclosure of the WGEEP report would enable citizens to voice their opinions with the information made available in the said report. Such opinions will be based on the credible information provided by an expert panel constituted by the government. This would facilitate an informed discussion between citizens based on a report prepared with their/public money.

MOEF's unwillingness to be transparent is likely to give citizens an impression that most decisions are taken in furtherance of corruption resulting in a serious trust deficit. This hampers the health of our democracy and the correct method to alter this perception is to become transparent. Such a move would only bring greater trust in the government and its functionaries, and hurt only the corrupt.

CIC had ordered the report to be made public by 10th May. Additionally he ordered that MoEF must put all such reports in public domain within 30 day's of receipt, in accordance with requirement of suo moto disclosure in RTI
Now I understand that MoEF has gone to Delhi High Court against this order.
The full CIC order is an outstanding piece of argument on environment- development issues and on people's role in decision making. It deserves to reach people everywhere. So I have translated in Marathi with a brief introductory background note, and this article will appear next week in Marathi weekly, Sadhana.
I write this to urge you to consider similarly translating the CIC order in other Indian languages and have it published in appropriate media.
The CIC order and my Marathi translation are attached for your information.
Cheers,
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With regards, Sincerely,
कळावे, लोभ असावा, आपला स्नेहांकित,
माधव Madhav ಮಾಧವ
Madhav Gadgil,
Res: A-18, Springflowers, Panchavati, Pashan, Pune 411008, Tel 020-25893424
Office: Biodiversity Department, Garware College, Karve Road, Pune 411004, Tel 020-41038236 , Fax 020-41038233
Mobile: 9881153413
माधव गाडगीळ,
जैवविविधता विभाग, गरवारे महाविद्यालय, कर्वे रस्ता, पुणे ४११००४
ए-१८, स्प्रिंगफ़्लॉवर्स, पंचवटी, पाषाण, पुणे ४११००८,
निसर्गाने दिला आनंदकंद । केवळ सौंदर्य, केवळ आनंद।

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With regards, Sincerely,
कळावे, लोभ असावा, आपला स्नेहांकित,
माधव Madhav ಮಾಧವ
Madhav Gadgil,
Res: A-18, Springflowers, Panchavati, Pashan, Pune 411008, Tel 020-25893424
Office: Biodiversity Department, Garware College, Karve Road, Pune 411004, Tel 020-41038236 , Fax 020-41038233
Mobile: 9881153413
माधव गाडगीळ,
जैवविविधता विभाग, गरवारे महाविद्यालय, कर्वे रस्ता, पुणे ४११००४
ए-१८, स्प्रिंगफ़्लॉवर्स, पंचवटी, पाषाण, पुणे ४११००८,
निसर्गाने दिला आनंदकंद । केवळ सौंदर्य, केवळ आनंद।

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Attachment(s) from Madhav Gadgil

2 of 2 File(s)