Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said that "modern infrastructure is required to improve the standard of living" but "anti-development and urban naxals" create hurdles in completing the projects.
He was speaking at the inauguration of the two-day National Conference of Environment Ministers at Ekta Nagar, Kevadia Colony, the site of the Statue of Unity in Narmada district.
Citing Sardar Sarovar Dam project as an example of how "urban naxals" created hurdles in the name of protecting the environment by "influencing world bank and judiciary", he said that these forces are still "at play" and being "sheltered by some political forces''.
"Without modern infrastructure, efforts to improve the standard of living cannot be successful. But we have seen how modern infrastructure construction gets entangled in the name of environment clearance. The place where you are sitting in Ekta Nagar is an eye-opening example of how urban naxals and anti-development forces had put such a big project of Sardar Sarovar Dam on hold for so many years," the PM said.
Addressing the event through video conference, the prime minister further said, "You will be surprised to know that the foundation stone of this project was laid soon after independence by Pandit Nehru (Jawaharlal Nehru) while Sardar Patel had contributed a lot in it. But the urban naxals and people from all over the world came and propagated that this was anti-environment. The project was stopped many times. The work, which was started by Nehru ji, was completed after I came. So much of the country's money was wasted and today, the same place has become a centre of environment."
Modi added without naming anyone specific that these "urban naxals" are still not silent and "not accepting their lies''. He said that "these people are being sheltered by some political parties''.
The prime minister also said that in stopping development in India, "many global institutions and foundations created a storm on such subjects and urban naxals danced to their tunes. And, this creates hurdles."
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He also mentioned how these people have influenced the World Bank and judiciary which resulted in delays of projects and waste of resources.
“It should be our endeavour that no obstacle is created in the name of the environment. We have to remember that the faster the environment clearance is available, the faster the development will take place," Modi said, adding that a "holistic approach" is required that doesn't compromise on the environment. He informed that around 6,000 projects are pending for environment clearance.
Earlier last month, Gujarat Chief Minister Bhupendra Patel had called activist Medha Patkar, known for 'Narmada Bachao Andolan', an "urban naxal" who opposed the Sardar Sarovar Dam project. Patkar, on the other hand, had termed this claim as "laughable."