The Supreme Court on Friday gave an order that raises hopes of rapid afforestation in the country by making available the key ingredient for it: Money.
Last week, a Rajya Sabha committee had allocated five hours for discussion on GST.
More than two dozen officials of the Uttarakhand forest department have been transferred following allegations of large scale felling of trees and illegal constructions in Corbett Tiger Reserve's buffer zone.
The government may claim planted trees compensate for forests lost, but that does not mean complex flora and fauna destroyed have been restored, points out Himadri Ghosh.
Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman spelled out water, its management, clean rivers as one of the 10 points of vision for the next decade.
Terming it a "very sorry state of affairs", the apex court said the state was just trying to find some excuse or the other.
The prime minister, who spoke in the Upper House as it bid farewell to 53 retiring MPs, noted that Rajya Sabha members are representatives of the states and the interest of their state should be a priority for them.
On reforms in pipeline, she said the government is for universal right to minimum wages and wants to remove regional disparity through a national floor wage.
What Rajya Sabha can do for the states, no other House can do, the Prime Minister said.
The Supreme Court imposed a green tax on trucks destined for other states but wanting to take a shorter route through Delhi.
The central government's Great Nicobar development project, proposed around an unprecedented transhipment port, will be executed to keep environmental impact minimal, and is essential as it is of national importance, the government has said amid calls to abort the controversial project due to ecological concerns, the Centre said in an official statement.
Modi also invited suggestions from the people for inclusion in his Independence Day speech.
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