The Central Information Commission has issued a show cause notice to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for not making available the report of the Shailesh Nayak Committee, which had looked into issues raised by the states affected by CRZ rules in 2011, to an activist and ordered disclosure of the report.
The first Caostal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, issued in 1991, gave powers to the central government to restrict activities around the country's ecologically sensitive coastal belt which spans over 7,500 kms.
The notification was thereafter amended 25 times before being revised in 2011.
The government is facing criticism that changes brought into the new CRZ since 2014 almost run parallel to the process of a special committee set up to review the CRZ notification.
Shailesh Nayak, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, headed the committee which submitted its report early in 2015.
When activist Kanchi Kohli, associated with Centre for Policy Research, Namati Environment Justice Programme, sought a copy of the report and file notings through RTI, the MoEF said it was 'in submission with the Minister and cannot be provided'.
Kohli said the report "must have analysed the errors and inconsistencies" of the CRZ notifications, without examining which seven amendments were notified since January 2015, facilitating heavy constructions, coastal roads etc.
It is not possible to discuss, question and determine if these amendments have any scientific, administrative or legal basis, the activist said.
"The Commission finds the issue of disclosure of report of Shailesh Naik Committee is very vital and of greater public interest. If the report of the Committee discussed the 'errors and inconsistencies' of the CRZ notification, they should be made known to the public in general and appellants in particular so that there can be a fair chance of analysing scientific, administrative or legal basis of these amendments, that might have been identified by the Committee," Information Commissioner Sridhar Acharyulu said.
