‘Paryavaran Mantralay’ has become ‘Pravachan Mantralay’: Congress

The Congress on Wednesday launched a sharp attack on the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, alleging a "collapse of governance" after four close aides of Union environment, forest and climate change minister Bhupendra Yadav were removed from their posts within two days.

Leading the charge was senior Congress leader and former Union environment minister Jairam Ramesh, who claimed the ministry had failed in its core responsibility of protecting India's environment and forests and had instead become more focused on rhetoric than action.

"During the Modi regime, all key appointments in the personal staff of Ministers are vetted by the PMO," Ramesh said in a post on X.

"Now four close aides of the Union minister of environment, forests and climate change have been sacked in two batches in two successive days. One of the aides is widely considered the closest of close confidants of the Minister concerned," he alleged.

Ramesh said the developments pointed to serious administrative problems within the ministry.

"Clearly there has been a collapse of governance in this important Ministry which has, in recent years, done little to protect the environment and forests and to deal with the implications of climate change," he said.

The Congress leader also accused the Centre of neglecting critical environmental challenges, alleging that ecological degradation continued unchecked across several ecologically sensitive regions of the country.

He claimed that environmental destruction was continuing unabated in the Great Nicobar Island project area, the dense forest belts of central and eastern India, the Aravalli range and other biodiversity-rich ecosystems.

"Air pollution continues to extract a heavy toll on public health and standards that need to be updated and enforced are simply not. The list is endless. But does the Modi regime even care? The Paryavaran Mantralay has become a Pravachan Mantralay," Ramesh said, taking a swipe at the government.

The Congress' remarks came after a series of official orders issued by the Environment Ministry. According to the orders dated July 3, the ministry removed the minister's private secretary and two additional private secretaries from their positions.

The private secretary was relieved on "administrative grounds", while the appointment of one additional private secretary was terminated. Another additional private secretary was prematurely repatriated to his parent cadre.

The Congress has sought to link the reshuffle to what it describes as deeper governance issues within the ministry, although the government has not publicly commented on the reasons behind the personnel changes beyond the official orders.

With PTI inputs