Even as industrial output is hitting new lows every passing month, India Inc is belatedly waking up to a major environmental clearance deterrent that is jeopardizing greenfield and brownfield inves

Mining co has stalled work on its $12-B Steel Plant, delayed by over nine years, till major clearances are approved

Ten years ago, soon after the Congressled UPA came to power, Posco announced a $12 billion steel project in Odisha. It was, and remains, India’s largest foreign direct investment (FDI) proposal. A decade and two UPA terms later, the South Korean company is still struggling with clearances despite Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s assurances on expediting approvals in January.

Mine & metal cos want reversal of order that asks miners with partial green nod to get fresh approval for entire area by Jan ’15

India’s top mining and metals players plan to approach the prime minister and the environment and forest minister to scrap, or at least modify, a directive issued last year, warning that the entire mining sector would grind to a halt otherwise.

Once again, linear projects to get forest clearance without consent of village gram sabhas

Environment and forest minister Veerappa Moily on Wednesday rolled back a major hurdle in the forest clearance process for projects like roads, transmission lines and pipelines that pass through villages and forest land, reintroduced in July 2013 by his predecessor Jayanthi Natarajan.

Cabinet secretariat seeks views of industry chambers on project hurdles by January 23

The government has kicked off a fast-track review of the cumbersome procedures involved in green clearances that often take years and are considered by industry as the single-biggest drag on India’s investment momentum, stalling projects worth several lakh crores of rupees. It has also sought India Inc’s views on the new environment regulator mandated by the Supreme Court.

Moily approves two power projects, two coal mines, a port in Andhra and an oil pipeline from Chennai port

Environment and forests minister M Veerappa Moily cleared six long-stalled infrastructure projects worth . 19,000 crore in the first eight days of 2014, signalling his intent that crucial industry projects will not be delayed for want of a green nod.

Timelines Soon as Ministries Fail to Act on Reforms
Only three ministries set targets for implementing recommendations of the Ashok Chawla Committee on Allocation of Natural Resources