New Delhi, July 27: Asserting that environmental impact assessment of controversial Rs 175 crore Taj heritage corridor project be given to the Union Environment Ministry, the Uttar Pradesh government has stoutly opposed in the
Supreme Court any role being assigned to Union Tourism and Culture Ministry headed by Jagmohan.
This assertion was made by the state government through an affidavit filed in reply to court commissioner Krishan Mahajan`s plea to the court to ask the union tourism ministry to immediately issue directions to the state chief secretary
under Environment Protection Act for immediate removal of all debris desposited by rain water behind and around Taj Mahal.
Mahajan had also pleaded that a time-bound action plan be drawn up by the ministry of tourism and culture for the protection of Taj and other world/national heritage monuments at Agra affected by the alleged unauthorised construction of
the heritage corridor project.
The affidavit filed by the new environment secretary Vinod Kumar Gupta, who took over from the suspended environment secretary R K Sharma, said the directions under the environment act could only be issued by the union environment ministry and not by the ministry of tourism and culture.
Bureau Report
