Ratnakar Gaikwad slams Ministry of Environment and Forest's green panels

In a letter to the secretary of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), chief secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad has criticised the environmental committees set up in the state by the central ministry.

The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) were set up in September 2006 to assess the environmental impact of projects.“The SEAC does not have a clear ToR (term of reference). There are several complaints over the last three years about the fact that the SEAC does not appraise projects strictly within the framework of the environmental concerns,” he said.

He made a mention of 400 projects on hold due to the SEAC allegedly questioning the authority of planning and development authorities.

Gaekwad claimed that the actions of SEAC have resulted in real estate prices escalating. “The situation with regard to construction projects, which comprise almost 90% of the total pending projects, is still worse. Real estate prices are sky high,” he writes.The solution? “All the residential projects are given clearances by the urban local bodies.  The mandatory requirements otherwise specified by the environment clearance committees can be made a part of building plan approvals itself. This would make it more like a single window clearance, with all the environmental aspects tied into it,” he said.