Do away with green nod, says Rajnath

Asking for exemption from environment clearances in cases of border infrastructure, home minister Rajnath Singh has said there is a need to deal with the issue of delay in executing projects falling within 100 km from International Border, Line of Actual Control and Line of Control in a comprehensive manner.

“All strategic border projects falling within 100 km from the IB, LAC and LoC may be fully exempted from obtaining environment/ forest/ wildlife clearances from the ministry of environment and forest and the state/ Union Territory governments,” Mr Singh wrote to environment minister Prakash Javadekar.

The strategic border projects include border roads, fencing, border outposts, floodlighting, surveillance infrastructure, power infrastructure besides others.

Mr Singh said all executing agencies like the CPWD and public sector undertakings engaged in border infrastructure work of the ministries of home affairs and defence may be treated at par with Border Roads Organisation in respect of environment, forest and wildlife clearances. The suggestions were part of the recommendations of an inter- ministerial group set up by the home ministry to fast- track environment, forest and wildlife clearances as well as suggest any other dispensation or institutional mechanism required for the same.