NEW DELHI: In another major initiative to streamline green clearance processes for big ticket projects, the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) is all set to launch a new online system on Tuesday for according forest clearances.
This comes after the launch of a similar system for environment clearances last month. Once fully operational, the online clearance system will streamline the whole process from filing of application for project approval to the time when final clearance is granted.
Both the systems will bring transparency in the application processes, online real-time monitoring and adherence to timeframe for verification, stage-wise approval and compliance mechanism and a more user-friendly application process.
According to MoEF officials, there shall be a maximum time limit for the entire approval process, with stage-wise timeframes and continuous efforts shall be made to bring down the timeframe for each stage.
Even the states will be taken on board and their problems addressed without compromising the ongoing efforts to preserve the environment.
The PMG is already in talks with the Coal and Mining Ministries to devise a similar system so that project proponents can track the status of their pending projects and know how much time will take to get clearances for their project.
The push to have a fixed time-line based system for project clearances in all key infrastructure ministries has come from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO).
The Project Monitoring Group is devising these timeframes in consultation with all the ministries, industry and other stake holders so that views of all of them are heard and included in order to have a smooth system.