Authors' reply:

Somashekar Hawaldar's VWDWHPHQW DERXW kVSLUXOLQD EHLQJ UHFRJQLVHG DV QDWXUH V EHVW JLIWy LV D PDUNHWLQJ MDUJRQ 7KHVH NLQGV RI IUDXGXOHQW DQG JHQHUDO FODLPV KDYH D GHWULPHQWDO HIIHFW RQ SHRSOH V FKRLFH RI IRRG SHUVXDGLQJ WKHP WR EHOLHYH WKDW VSLUXOLQD LV EHWWHU WKDQ IUXLWV YHJHWDEOHV HJJV PLON QXWV EHUULHV URRWV WXEHUV FHUHDOV SXOVHV DQG PHDW 7KH\ PLVOHDG DQG PRFN SHRSOH ZKR DUH VWUXJJOLQJ WR KHOS PDOQRXULVKHG FKLOGUHQ

Hawaldar alludes to WKH -DQXDU\ PHHWLQJ RI FSSAI LQ ZKLFK LW DSSURYHG VSLUXOLQD DV D IRRG VXSSOHPHQW &UXFLDOO\ WKRXJK WKH ERG\ GLG QRW VWDWH WKDW VSLUXOLQD VKRXOG EH XVHG LQ WKH WUHDWPHQW RI FKLOGUHQ VXIIHULQJ IURP 6HYHUH $FXWH 0DOQXWULWLRQ SAM 0RUHRYHU LI FSSAI V DSSURYDO LV WKH EHQFKPDUN WKDW +DZDOGDU XVHV WR VXSSRUW KLV DUJXPHQW then he must remember that LW DSSURYHG VSLUXOLQD RQO\ LQ +RZHYHU %LRFRQ KDV SXEOLFO\ GLVFORVHG WKDW WKH\ KDYH EHHQ LVVXLQJ LW WR FKLOGUHQ VLQFH EHIRUH FSSAI FDPH LQWR EHLQJ

+DZDOGDU DOVR FRXQWHUV us on NIN E\ FLWLQJ LWV UHFRPPHQGDWLRQ RI VSLUXOLQD IRU SUHJQDQW ZRPHQ $W WKH RXWVHW ZH ZRXOG OLNH WR LQIRUP KLP WKDW XQGHUZHLJKW FKLOGUHQ LQ WKH SAM FDWHJRU\ DUH QRW WKH VDPH DV SUHJQDQW ZRPHQ SAM FKLOGUHQ PXVW EH WUHDWHG DFFRUGLQJ WR WKH JXLGHOLQHV RI WKH ,QGLDQ JRYHUQPHQW :RUOG +HDOWK 2UJDQL]DWLRQ DQG 8QLFHI

CFTRI and NRDC have UHFRPPHQGHG VSLUXOLQD DV LW LV WKHLU MRE WR KHOS LGHQWLI\ SURMHFWV IRU IXWXUH HQWUHSUHQHXUV %XW HYHU\ SURMHFW GRHV QRW UHVXOW LQ D VXFFHVVIXO YHQWXUH 6SLUXOLQD LV DW YDULRXV VWDJHV RI GHYHORSPHQW :H DUH QRW DZDUH RI VSLUXOLQD V VSHFLDO TXDOLWLHV DV D VXSSOHPHQW IRU WKH WUHDWPHQW RI SAM FKLOGUHQ

9LV D YLV VDIHW\ MXVW EHFDXVH VSLUXOLQD XVHG LQ WKH SLORW SURMHFW ZDV SURGXFHG LQ ,QGLD LW GRHV QRW PHDQ LW LV VDIH IRU SAM FKLOGUHQ +DZDOGDU IXUWKHU FODLPV WKDW WKH VSLUXOLQD GLG QRW DGYHUVHO\ DIIHFW DQ\ FKLOG

http://www.facebook.com/down2earthindia

6XFK DJULFXOWXUDO UHVLGXH FDQ EH FRQYHUWHG WR ELR IHUWLOLVHU 7KH &HQWUDO ,QVWLWXWH IRU 6XEWURSLFDO +RUWLFXOWXUH /XFNQRZ KDV WKH WHFKQRORJ\ IRU IDFLOLWDWLQJ WKLV SURFHVV LW ZDV JLYHQ WR 2QO\ DQ LQGHSHQGHQW LQTXLU\ E\ D PRQLWRULQJ FRPPLWWHH FDQ UHSRUW DGYHUVH UHDFWLRQV DQG HYHQ WHUPLQDWH H[SHULPHQWV 1R VXFK FRPPLWWHH ZDV DSSRLQWHG LQ WKLV FDVH

Hawaldar's statement WKDW VSLUXOLQD XVHG LQ WKH SLORW SURMHFW ZDV QHYHU LQWHQGHG WR UHSODFH UHJXODU IRRG LV XQIRUWXQDWH ,W VKRZV WKDW FRUSRUDWHV WKURXJK WKHLU FRUSRUDWH VRFLDO UHVSRQVLELOLW\ CSR ORRN DW FKLOG QXWULWLRQ LQ D FRPSDUWPHQWDOLVHG PDQQHU ,W DOVR UHIOHFWV EDGO\ RQ WKHLU FRPPLWPHQW WRZDUGV HQGLQJ FKLOG PDOQXWULWLRQ

+DZDOGDU V VXSSRUW IRU WKH SLORW V FODLPV RI