RK Pachauri was told to quit PM's council: Sources

NEW DELHI: A day after being asked to resign, the Teri chief RK Pachauri – accused in a sexual harassment case – on Saturday resigned from the Prime Minister’s council on climate change. His resignation was accepted with immediate effect.
“The Prime Minister Narendra Modi has accepted the resignation of RK Pachauri from the PM’s council on climate change”, said a statement, issued by the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
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Sources in the government said Pachauri was on Friday asked to resign from the council.He was told to tender his resignation, otherwise the PMO would not have any other option but to replace him with someone else in the council, they added.
Pachauri, who stepped down from the United Nation’s intergovernmental panel on climate change (IPCC) in the wake of allegation against him for sexually harassing a woman employee, has for the time being on leave from the Delhi-based renewable energy and sustainable development think-tank Teri.
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The Teri director general was also in the previous council of the then Prime Minister Manmohan Singh. The council was first constituted by the UPA-I government in 2007. He was inducted into the council again when the Prime Minister Narendra Modi had reconstituted it in November last year.
The council is meant for coordinating national action plans for assessment, adaptation and mitigation of climate change. It advises government on pro-active measures that can be taken by India to deal with the challenge of climate change. It also facilitates inter-ministerial coordination and guide policy in relevant areas.
Pachauri was on Thursday barred from entering his office premises by a Delhi court which extended interim protection from arrest granted to him till March 27.
He was also restrained from contacting Teri's staff, witnesses in the case and the complainant and directed not to leave country without prior permission from the court. His anticipatory bail application will be taken up for final disposal on March 27.