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functioning enterprise", thereby causing unemployment and
income loss.
The Intelligence Bureau got awakened to the growing menace
to growth and social stability caused by foreign NGOs after
they succeeded in halting the commissioning of the
Koodankulam II reactor just before start-up. "For 20 years they
were silent, but moved just when electric power would begin
to flow to the grid from the Koodankulam plant", said a local
official, adding that "religious charities with ties to France
were hyperactive in funding the protests". As soon as the government cut off funding, the agitation stopped, thereby
demonstrating the close link between agitation and foreign
"We need to create 15 million new jobs every year and cannot do
this unless the legal and other blockages created by foreign NGOs
and their local partners get cleared", warned an official, adding
that "we expect Home Minister Rajnath Singh to wake up to this
reality before more time goes by, so that blocked projects resume".
Supporters of Greenpeace and other foreign NGOs active in India
scoff at the fears expressed by the agencies, saying that all they
are doing is to "ensure that the people of India live in a clean,
green environment". They say that to consider such activities antinational is to "indulge in paranoia and xenophobia", adding that
the foreign nationals working in India "love your country and
want to help it avoid the mistakes of the West".
INDIA CAN EARN $10 B N FROM IRON ORE EXPORTS: VEDANTA CHAIRMAN
Despite the steel ministry's reluctance to reduce export duty
on iron-ore, Vedanta chairman Anil Agarwal has supported
the mining industry's demand to reduce the current 30% duty,
stating that India could earn $10 billion if the government allows export of iron ore by reducing export duty structures.
“Oil price hike may lead to forex outflow. Increase in
Goa’s iron ore production for export can earn forex up to $10
billion,” Agarwal said in a tweet on Friday.
This comes days after mining industry stalwarts made a
presentation to steel and mining minister Narendra Singh
Tomar.
Last week, Rio Tinto India managing director Nik Senapati
had said: “There is enough iron ore