Ramesh against diesel subsidy "enjoyed" by mobile companies

New Delhi, Jun 5 (PTI) Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh
on Sunday took exception to diesel subsidy being "enjoyed" by
mobile companies and owners of luxury vehicles and suggested
that the measure be instead extended to people in forest areas
in the form of cooking gas rebate to help save the trees.
"Diesel subsidy was meant to benefit the users in the
agriculture sector. But today the diesel subsidy is being
enjoyed by drivers of luxury vehicles and people like you
and me - the users of mobile phone," the Minister, who kicked
up a controversy recently by stating that the use of diesel
guzzling vehicles like SUVs on Indian roads was "criminal",
said.
"We have 450000 mobile towers in our country, which
are all run on diesel. Why that diesel should be subsidised,"
Ramesh told reporters here after releasing the UNEP "Green
Economy and the Forest" report on the occasion of World
Environment Day.
According to a recent study by an NGO, Greenpeace,
diesel consumed by telecom companies for providing power at
telecom towers is causing an estimated loss of Rs 2,600 crore
annually to the government in the form of subsidy.
Arguing for cooking gas subsidy for 172000 villages of
the country which are in forest areas or in the periphery of
forest areas, the Minister said the single most important
measure the government can take to protect the forests in
these areas is to provide subsidised cooking gas to these
172000 villages.
He said the people of the 172000 villages are
dependent on forests for firewood and it is leading to a cycle
of deforestation and causing health problem particulary among
women due to the black carbon emission from firewood.
"So providing cooking gas is a little bit of... their
subsidy would be socially very very desirable," the Minister
said and added that it as a targeted subsidy would fulfil a
social purpose.
"So just one subsidy that I would argue is subsidy for
cooking gas to this 172000 villages and save our forests,"
Ramesh said.
Earlier, chairing a seminar on Nature and Livelihood:
Women's Perspective, the Minister said he has given
representation to Prime Minister as wells as Petroleum
Minister, requesting them to take steps to provide cooking gas
for the villages in and around the forest areas of the
country.