NEW DELHI: Responding to a news item headlined ‘Ministry vs ministry over future of 6 hydel projects’ published on February 9, the ministry of environment and forests clarified that there was “no disagreement as the news report tries to portray between (the) Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and (the) Ministry of Jal Shakti.”
The clarification further said that an affidavit based on the “agreed position” between the two ministries had been “approved by the secretary, MoEF&CC on January 19, 2021” and this would be filed in the Supreme Court at the next date of hearing in July.
This newspaper stands by the story as it was based on the separate and contradictory affidavits filed to date by the two ministries since 2016. These affidavits are available in public domain. Moreover, as the ministry of environment and forests has stated, an affidavit on the “agreed position” will be filed in the court only in July.