Streamline process for green nod for mining projs: Par panel

New Delhi, May 4: With around 200 proposals of Coal India awaiting green nod, a parliamentary panel has asked the government to explore the feasibility of creating a medium to streamline the process of obtaining environmental and forest clearances of coal mining projects in a coordinated manner.

The Committee further emphasised that the Coal ministry should not ignore the environmental and forestary requirements of mining projects, Standing Committee on Coal and Steel said in a report. "...the Committee are happy to note that the Cabinet Secretariat have started a Project Monitoring Group to monitor such issues online for all major projects and critical projects with the Ministry of Coal launching a web-based portal for resolving pending issues for all coal mining projects to help resolve and expedite clearance," it said.

As of March, the committee said, a total of 187 forestry clearance proposals and 22 environmental clearance proposals are pending for Coal India (CIL).

With regard to Singareni Collieries Company (SCCL) five proposals are awaiting forestry clearance and 11 proposals are awaiting environment clearances. "...three environmental clearance proposals are pending for NLC (Neyveli Lignite Corporation) as on March 2015," it said. CIL accounts for over 80 per cent of the domestic coal production.

PTI