By IANS,
New Delhi : Praising her predecessor, new Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan said Thursday that Jairam Ramesh had handled the ministry well.
Asked if Ramesh was forced to regularise some projects, she said: “I would not like to get into that. My predecessor achieved remarkable progress in implementing environmental laws. He implemented all the laws in their letter and spirit.”
Natarajan was talking to journalists at the curtain raiser of a seminar on disaster management to be held July 22-24.
“Various regularity bodies are the result of his work. We will introduce Green Tribunals in five states,” added Natarajan.
“It’s time we are reminded that there is a huge difference between need and greed. Our economic resources should be diverted to address the problems of natural and man-made disasters.”
Natarajan said that it was the poor who were vulnerable to environmental degradation.
The seminar will be jointly organised by the Supreme Court, Delhi High Court, ministry of environment and forest, ministry of law and justice and the Indian Law Institute.
President Patil will inaugurate the seminar Friday. The valedictory speech will be given by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh.