Liberal and lethal

-- India's economic reforms are making a heady progress. Since the announcement of the new economic policy, 31,196 Industrial Investment Intentions, including those for export oriented units, have been recorded, till July 1996, with the secretariat of industrial approvements under the ministry of industry. These intentions add up to Rs 6,371 billion and 5.7 million jobs! In addition, 2,554 letters of intent have been issued for the licensable sector, and translates into investment worth Rs 829 billion and 0.56 million jobs. And the foreign investment promotion council has cleared around 350 projects between June and August. Such a rush is bound to spell environmental disaster for the country, naturally, because the present agenda seems to be development at all costs.