Environment protection has almost become a passion with the Chief Minister. During the BJP's nearly 29 months of rule, Dhumal has been stressing at all levels the need for environmental protection. His government also pioneered some environmental protection programmes. The latest is his announcement of a nine-point “Environment Protection Code” which also includes suggestions for conserving water and energy.

The environment issue has assumed importance for Himachal particularly because of the grave danger the state's fragile ecology faces. On the one hand, global warming-induced climatic changes are melting the Himalayan glaciers posing a serious threat to water availability, the saviour of India's north-western food bowl. On the other hand, the state's economic development is leading to deterioration in its environment. The irony is that instead of reconciling this conflict of interests, the state government's actions are widening the conflict.

Among the state's worst environment pollutants are the cement factories and the mines they draw their raw material from and the growing urban concrete jungles. While almost every party that has ruled Himachal Pradesh in the past few years has criticized its predecessor for allowing the setting up of cement factories, but whenever it itself comes to power, it facilitates the growth of the cement sector. The cement factories are also the main source of causing extensive damage to roads adversely affecting the transport industry.

The state's big tourist attractions including Shimla and Manali have already turned hugely congested concrete jungles due to the unabated construction activity creating acute water shortage and civic problems. Instead of protecting environment by solving these problems the government has been announcing plans to promote tourism and industries. By enacting the Himachal Pradesh Apartment Regulation Act, the government has opened floodgates for colonizers. Builders have been raising multi-storeyed clusters in place of lush green hills without regard to the damage these cause to the fragile economy.

Now there is a move to amend the state lease rules to facilitate grant of government land to private companies for setting up industries, tourism, hydroelectric projects and other purposes. The main beneficiaries of the proposed grant of government land on lease will be private companies. Even Yoga gurus who claim to be selflessly serving the humanity through their spiritual and Yogic discourses are being benefited from the government's largesse. Some of them are entering the lucrative corporate world and use the plank to enter into politics. The case in point is that of Baba Ram Dev. The Yoga guru has got 96.2 bighas of government land at an extraordinarily low price of Rs.16 lakh and a lease value of Rs.1 per annum for 99 years.

All State governments grant incentives including tax concessions and cheap land for setting up industries. Himachal government cannot be faulted for extending similar facilities. But if it does it recklessly in some cases as it appears to be doing, it would amount to ridiculing the Chief Minister's concerns about Himachal's environmental protection.

There can be no two opinions that Himachal needs resources to overcome its acute financial problems. The government's plans to promote industries and tourism, without allowing them to turn into scams will, no doubt, yield additional revenues. But this will widen the conflict of interests between the state's economic development and the need to protect its fragile ecology and preventing deterioration of environment. It will need a genius to reconcile the contradiction. Whether Prem Kumar Dhumal proves to be one is a question only astrologers can answer?

In its efforts to earn more revenue and provide employment avenues by promoting industrial development, the government had also been demanding extension of industrial package granted by the Centre to Himachal Pradesh which was to prematurely expire on March 31, 2010. The Congress had also agreed to accompany Dhumal as part of the delegation to meet the Prime Minister for getting the package extended. But the partisan attitude of both the parties led to the dropping of the move. The reason was that while Dhumal and his party had been pursuing a confrontationist attitude towards the UPA government, the Congress's joining hands with the BJP on the package issue would have looked ridiculous for the main opposition party.

The State, however, heaved a sigh of relief when the Union Commerce and Industry Minister Anand Sharma announced in Shimla on May 8 that the Centre had decided not to withdraw the key components of the package like income tax benefits, capital and transport subsidies. It has, however, put a cap on the exemption from Central excise duty which will not be extended beyond 2010.

The economic package episode and the state's financial needs should prompt the BJP's ruling leadership to introspect. On the one hand, it is blaming the Centre for adopting a discriminatory attitude towards Himachal even when New Delhi sanctioned some key schemes for the state. On the other hand it has failed to take any major step to mobilize additional resources. How long will it continue going to New Delhi with a bagging bowl? (IPA Service)