participants at a recent conference urged the Union finance ministry to create an environment fund in the forthcoming budget. The conference "Greening the Budget: Impact on Industry and Economy-A Pre-Budget 2000-01 Debate' was organised by Tata Energy Research Institute (teri), New Delhi. Speaking on the occasion R K Pachauri, director of teri , said that the revenue collected from polluters should should not be included in the general revenue, but should be kept aside as an environment fund.

Partho Shome of the Indian Council for Research in International Economic Relations, said that the government should also consider a pollution tax.