Little value in heading Standing Committee on science, and tech, forest and climate: Jairam

Congress leader and former Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday expressed displeasure over important bills being bulldozed through the Parliament, saying that he sees little value in continuing as Chairman of the Standing Committee on Environment, Science and Tech, Forest and Climate.

He said that subjects of the committee "are very close to my heart and fit my educational and professional background" but the Modi government "has turned yet another institutional mechanism worthless."

Ramesh, who is also the Congress General Secretary in charge of communications, tweeted: "Three very important Bills bulldozed through Parliament these past few days were deliberately not referred to the Standing Committee on Science and Tehnology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change."

"These are Bills that radically amend the Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and the Forest Conservation Act, 1980, and the Bill to set up the Anusandhan National Research Foundation. Not only that, the DNA Technology (Use and Application) Regulation Bill, 2019 on which the Committee submitted a comprehensive report with many substantive suggestions has been withdrawn. The Modi government has instead bypassed it with the Criminal Procedure (Identification) Act, 2022."

"Under these circumstances, I see little value in continuing as the Chairman of this Standing Committee, the subjects of which are very close to my heart and fit my educational and professional background. All that is irrelevant in this age of self-styled Sarvagyaani and Vishwaguru. The Modi government has turned yet another institutional mechanism worthless," he added.

The Bills were passed in last few days of the Monsoon Session of Parliament.