14 November,2023 03:53 PM IST | Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
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The Modi administration has been under fire from opposition parties for allegedly assigning Janardhan Chaudhary, an employee of the Adani business, to the Environment Ministry's Expert Appraisal Committees (EAC). Because Chaudhary is a member of this significant committee, which was established to approve many power projects, including those carried out by the Adani Group, it is said that he has conflicts of interest, according to agency reports.
Kerala Congress expressed worry about Chaudhary's involvement in approving six Adani projects, including the latest clearance of Adani's 1500 MW Satara plant, on their official account, highlighting Chaudhary's affiliation with Adani.
"Adani Pradhan Sevak appointed Adani employee Janardhan Choudhury as a member of EAC under the Environment Ministry. This committee has to approve 6 Adani projects (10,300 MW)," the Kerala Congress claimed on its official X account. They further stated that recently, Adani's 1500 MW Satara plant was approved by him. "Eej of doing bujiness," the party said.
According to reports, Chaudhary, a significant advisor to Adani Green Energy Limited (AGEL), has been included as a member of an EAC that reviews bids for hydro projects that fall within the company's jurisdiction. When it comes to projects that need permission from the government, the EAC confers and decides.
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The leader of the Shiv Sena (UBT), Priyanka Chaturvedi, drew attention to the particular Adani projects that were brought before the EAC. She also questioned the appointment procedure and its possible impact on the committee's ability to make decisions.
"Meet Janardan Choudhary. He is a key advisor in Adani Green Energy Limited He has been appointed by Union Environment Ministry as one of the seven non institutional members of EAC for hydroelectricity & river valley projects. In its first meeting what do you think came up for discussion? Yes, AGEL's 1500 mw Tarali Pumping storage in Satara where AGEL Guess what was the decision of EAC? Yes it was to recommend in favour of AGEL. Please don't even mention conflict of interest etc. that applies for others not where friends with benefits are concerned," Chaturvedi wrote on X.
She further wrote, "If an ethics committee can hold an elected member of parliament guilty for sharing email by calling it a national security and conflict of interest issue how is a person working as an advisor to a private company, a company that has pending approvals in MoEFs NAC be allowed a seat on the NAC itself? No issues of conflict of interest are applicable here. No reasons to investigate and find out how he made it there, who put him there & why is he the chosen one?"
TMC MP Mahua Moitra also criticised the alleged appointment, claiming that Chaudhary's involvement in the committee could influence the approval process, citing the recent sanction of Adani's 1500 MW Satara plant in a committee meeting.
The opposition members have highlighted concerns about potential conflicts of interest arising from Chaudhary's purported ties to Adani and its influence on decision-making within the Environment Ministry's committee.
