Click to play videoNew Delhi: As the country faces power crisis, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has become worried and called for a review meeting of Power and Coal Ministries.
CNN-IBN has accessed an internal document prepared for the Prime Minister by the Planning Commission ahead of the meeting.
The report blamed the Environment Ministry for the power shortage.
The Planning Commission document states that the major problems in the delay in setting up new power projects have been due to delay in environment and forest clearance.
The report further said that the production of coal has been seriously affected by the 'go' and 'no go' policy of Environment Ministry.
The note has also said that the Forest Rights Act, a flagship project of the UPA, is responsible for delays in getting forest clearance for projects.
The document further undermines the environment clearance process by asking for expediting clearances.
Interestingly, the note has led to a new point of conflict between Jairam Ramesh and the Planning Commission. Sources in the Environment Ministry have confirmed that the Environment Minister has written a strong note to the Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia, describing this note as "bogus" and not based on any adequate homework by the Planning Commission.
While the Planning Commission blames the Environment Ministry, ironically, the Ministry itself has been on a clearing spree. In the last one week the Ministry has cleared over nine coal blocks in Chhatisgarh and Orissa despite the blocks are falling in the 'no go' zones. With the PM expected to chair a meeting on the performance of the power and coal sectors, the stage is set for a war of words between Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and Planning Commission Deputy Chairperson Montek Singh Ahluwalia.
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