Pune: Slamming Maharashtra Chief Minister
Prithviraj Chavan for asking the Centre to give green nod to
the first phase of the controversial Lavasa project, Anna
Hazare has accused him of violating his oath of office.
Hazare and social activist Medha Patkar, who heads the
`Jan Andolan` against the Lavasa project near here, wrote a letter to Chavan on November 7, taking strong
objection to his comments on the issue.
"It is strange and shocking that the Chief Minister has
made a public utterance supporting the commencement of phase
one of the project, with clearance from the Union Environment
Ministry on the same day, when Maharashtra Pollution Control
Board (MPCB) filed a criminal complaint against Lavasa," the
letter says.
"It is the constitutional obligation of the Chief
Minister to act against Lavasa, without defending it," the
letter said.
Hazare and Patkar have also accused Chavan of violating
his oath of office with his stand on Lavasa and committing
contempt of court, in view of the matter being sub-judice in
the Bombay High Court, which had directed the state government
to file a case against the promoters of the hill station
project.
Last week, terming the Lavasa project as important to
Maharashtra, Chavan had urged the Centre to give the green nod
to the first phase of the proposed Hill City.
Chavan`s request had come on the day when the Maharashtra
government had filed a criminal case against Lavasa
Corporation, the promoters of Lavasa Hill City, for the
alleged violations of the Environment Protection Act (EPA).
PTI
