Cornering the government on premature dissolution of the Commission for Air Quality Management set up by the Narendra Modi government by way of an ordinance that lapsed on March 12, senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh questioned the government’s commitment towards the issue.
Mr. Ramesh said that the government that is usually agile in converting an ordinance into an Act, let this important ordinance lapse. This despite the fact, Mr. Ramesh said, that the Business Advisory Committee for Rajya Sabha had allocated three hours’ time for the discussion on the conversion of the ordinance to a Bill.
Mr. Ramesh’s question went unanswered in the Rajya Sabha, with Deputy Chairman Harivansh pressing to take up other listed business. The session is slated to end on Thursday and it is unlikely that in the last two days, the government will bring in a fresh Bill to reactivate the commission.
“No clarification was forthcoming. A much-hyped measure to tackle air pollution languishes,” Mr Ramesh tweeted.
The Commission for Air Quality Management in National Capital Region and adjoining areas, as it is called, came into being after the 22-year-old Environmental Pollution (Prevention and Control) Authority (EPCA) that has so far addressed air pollution in Delhi, was dissolved in October.
