How safe environment is in Haryana-Present Environment Minister Rao Narbir Singh was divested of his portfolio by then CM Bansi Lal for acting against environment rules .?

Gustakhi Maaf Haryana-Pawan Kumar Bansal

Environmental Concerns in Haryana: A Look Back at Rao Narbir Singh’s Controversial Tenure

Haryana’s current Environment and Forest Minister, Rao Narbir Singh, has had a controversial past involving the state’s environmental regulations. Twenty-seven years ago, during the government of Chief Minister Bansi Lal, Narbir Singh was divested of his ministerial portfolio after being accused of violating environmental rules. At that time, he was serving as the Minister for Food and Supplies.

The incident, which became public through a report I published in Jansatta, a Hindi daily and sister publication of The Indian Express, involved Rao Narbir Singh issuing around thirty licenses for brick kilns in the National Capital Region (NCR), specifically in the districts of Sonipat and Rohtak. The licenses were granted despite objections from local authorities, including the then Deputy Commissioner of Rohtak, TVSN Parshad, who had raised concerns over the environmental implications of these licenses.

The story led to a fallout, with Bansi Lal initially angered by the report but eventually being advised by his Principal Secretary, LM Jain, to take action. As a result, Narbir Singh was stripped of his Food and Supplies portfolio, which was then reassigned to Ganeshi Lal, who later became the Governor of Odisha.

Now, as Narbir Singh serves as the Environment Minister in the current government led by Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar, the question remains: How safe is the environment in Haryana? This is something the readers must judge for themselves, considering the historical context of the minister’s actions and the ongoing environmental challenges in the state.