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.

Ex-environment minister Jayanthi Natarajan may have dismissed speculation that delays in green clearances for several highvalue projects led to her ouster, but environmental nods to over 70 project

A division bench of the Gujarat High Court on Monday held that around 20-22 units at Adani Ports & Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) were functioning illegally without any environmental clearance (EC).

The court ordered the Central government to decide on granting EC to the SEZ afresh within one month while taking in mind the latest judgment of the high court. With this, the court also ordered closure of all the units inside APSEZ.

The Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party on Monday clashed over a remark by BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi that under , the environment ministry charged a "tax" to clear files.

The first to lead the attack on Modi was Congress general secretary Digvijaya Singh.

MEA says site allotment for S Korea deferred due to pending projects

South Korea’s first lady President Park Geun-hye has a lot to cheer about the environmental clearance to Posco’s Rs 52,000-crore steel plant project in Odisha after an eight-year delay, but she will be disappointed with Delhi’s decision to go slow on the bilateral nuclear pact and not allot any site for the reactor during her four-day visit to India beginning January 15.

Jayanthi Natarajan, it would appear, has done immense damage to the economy and to her own party's electoral prospects.

Cites violation of environmental norms, directs ministry to look into the issue within 30 days

The Rs 56,000-crore Adani Group on Monday received a major blow from the Gujarat High Court, which ordered a shutdown of 12 units in Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ), located in Mundra, Kutch district, with immediate effect. The court ordered a closure of the 12 units in the premises of the SEZ, as these had violated its earlier order of May 2012.