Ministry of Environment and Forest going online for green clearances
In a highly noteworthy move which will pave the way for major structural changes in the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF)’s mechanism for ‘green clearances,’ the Ministry has revealed that it is starting an online clearance system.
According to a memorandum released by the MoEF, the online ‘green clearances’ mechanism will go online with effect from July 1, when all applications for environment (EC) clearances and ToR (terms of reference) will be accepted only online.
The memorandum has also revealed that the process of assessment of a proposal will have to be completed by the expert appraisal committee within 5-15 working days. Any additional information, if required, will have to be sought from the project proponents within the mentioned time frame.
With the MoEF going online with green clearances, a Ministry official said that the move will significantly expedite the process of environmental clearances. As a result, project implementation will be put on a fast track, and there will also be transparency in the entire mechanism.
The plan for online green clearances has been pushed by the MoEF at the back of 419 large investment projects which have been stuck because green clearances have not been received by the proponents.
Though it had been asserted by Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar that the MoEF’s priority will be to give clearances to defence sector projects, the Prime Minister’s office has apparently made clear that the government’s priority also includes enabling speedy investments.
Source – The Financial Express
Ministry of environment and forest, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), MoEF going online for green clearances
