the finance minister mr.p.chidambaram (PC) is probably the most environment agnostic (to put it mildly) and environment careless (to put it little more strongly) and most environment dismissive (to put it correctly), india has ever seen.

let's take a few cases.

1. he repeatedly slashes the excise duty on cars for several budgets before stopping in 2007.
2. he waives the duty of coking coal (that too with high ash content) imports and makes it duty free thereby creating a maniac push for coal power plants that will screw up our coastal areas.
3. he does not seem to understand the importance of public transport and has not taken even a single step to address this vital segment.
4. he has not pushed small but crucial iniatives like solar power heating systems for home and business.

PC has a huge background in corporate sector and no wonder he acts mostly to pamper corporate sector interests rather than having a people oriented interest. this is not to say we should go socialist but with massive humanity focussing on agriculture, fishing, rural based industries like handicrafts, bamboo making, etc - a strong state eye is needed or else the western style capitalism will benefit only a few, like it is happening now.