Puri will give boost to green economy transition: Ex-UN body chief
Darpan News Desk IANS, 08 Jul, 2021 10:51 AM
New Delhi, July 8 (IANS) Former UN Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim on Thursday hailed the elevation of Hardeep Puri as he takes charge of the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas at a time when India will go through a major transformation to a green economy.
"I know Puri very well. He is a perfect fit for this important portfolio," Solheim told IANS in a message.
"Coming with great international and domestic experience at a time when India will go through a major transformation to a less polluting, green economy. He understands the green shift very well and will prioritise jobs and a people-centred approach. Win-win," he added.
The former Norwegian diplomat, politician and environment minister played a crucial role in 2018 as the UN Environment chief in convincing India to phase out single-use plastics by 2022, a major achievement in his crusade against plastic pollution.
Puri, a former diplomat, said the focus of the ministry under him will be to increase domestic production of crude oil and natural gas and help the country become 'Atmanirbhar'.
He said in line with the vision to create a gas-based economy in the country he would see that its availability and use of clean fuel is encouraged.
According to ADR, 45 Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) legislators of the 62, and seven of the eight Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MLAs had declared more than Rs 1 crore assets while filing their nomination papers.
The 51-year-old bureaucrat-turned-politician almost replicated the AAP’s fairy-tale victory of 2015 by riding on his government’s development agenda, and in the process emerged as a key leader in the national political landscape.
A total of 44,951 pilgrims travelled from November 9, 2019 to January 31, 2020 via Kartarpur corridor to pay obeisance at Sri Kartarpur Sahib, central government said in a written reply to a question.
