Question : Environmental-Forest Clearances for Projects

(a) whether a number of major projects/proposals of various sectors for grant of environmental/forest clearances are pending with the Government and if so, the details thereof as on date, Sector-wise;
(b) whether the Government has made any assessment of cost escalation of such projects/proposals due to delay in environmental/forest clearances and if so, the details thereof, Sector-wise;
(c) the number of projects/proposals seeking environmental/forest clearances received online through the web portal along with their present status clearances since inception of online submission of proposals/projects for environmental/ forest clearances;
(d) whether the Government has received complaints of irregularities/Corruption in granting environmental/forest clearances to the projects/proposals during each of the last three years and the current year and if so, the details thereof; and
(e) the steps taken by the Government to clear all the pending projects expeditiously?

MINISTER FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(DR. HARSH VARDHAN)

(a) The details of projects pending for grant of environmental clearances is given at Annexure 1 and that of forest clearances is given at Annexure 2.
(b) No Sir.
(c) The details of the projects seeking environmental clearances received online since inception of online submission is given at Annexure-3 and that of forest clearances is at Annexure-4
(d) No Sir.
(e) The Ministry has taken several steps to expedite the process of environmental and forest clearances which inter alia include online system of processing of environmental clearances, introduction of Short Message Service (SMS) functionality for Project proponent, auto alert system; separate module to track the progress of recommended projects, delegation of powers to Regional Empowered Committee (REC) to dispose of proposals seeking forest clearance to linear projects, etc.

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