Long-term lenders like IIFCL and IDBI Bank are unlikely to fund road projects where land acquisition is incomplete, a move that could scuttle plans to award projects of 8,000 km this fiscal year. Lenders and builders have approached the finance ministry, road ministry and NHAI, insisting that road contracts should not be awarded without all clearances in place.

“We are not taking up new projects unless 100% land acquisition is done. We are taking up the issue with NHAI,” IIFCL chairman SK Goel told FE. “We feel other lenders will follow suit,” he added.

Wants Tribal Consent Clause Toned Down

New Delhi: The PMO has stepped in yet again to push for dilution of the green clearance procedures, this time asking the environment ministry to render the need for projects to comply with the Forest Rights Act (FRA) almost redundant. The recommendation comes as the latest in a series of moves that the PMO has made to alter the environment and forest clearance process for projects even as it failed to fashion the National Investment Board as an over-arching regulator to supersede the environment ministry. The latest recommendation, substantially denting the importance of what was once UPA’s flagship scheme for tribals — the FRA — has again shown the hands-on approach the PMO has taken to tackle the environmental clearance process.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) may black list GMR Infrastructure from bidding for highways projects on the grounds that the company allegedly terminated a contract unilaterally wit

PANJIM: The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in its affidavit submitted to the Supreme Court, stated it has no objection to the present petition being heard on merit, sticking to its earlier stand that in case a mining project is located within 10 kms from a wildlife sanctuary or national park, environmental clearance should be accorded subject to obtaining clearance from the standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife.

This clearance puts the onus on the mine owner to submit an application and obtain wildlife clearance under the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1973 “…as the environment clearance process is a parallel exercise and independent of any other statutory clearances.”

The decision by the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) to move the Supreme Court seeking exemption for delinking environment and forest approvals for road projects had the approval of the Prime Ministers Office (PMO), it has emerged.

Government sources in the know say that the PMO’s approval came in a meeting held on October 31, 2012. The meeting was chaired by Principal Secretary to the Prime Minister Pulok Chatterji and attended by representatives from NHAI, and the ministries of road transport, environment and law.

Slamming Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik for opposing disinvestment of Nalco, Union Mines Minister Dinsha Patel today said there was a move to offload 30 per cent stake in the aluminium giant when Patnaik was at the Centre.

The government, now is discussing selling off only 12.5 per cent stake. "When Naveen Patnaik was Union Mines minister, there was a move by the then NDA government for 30 per cent disinvestment in Nalco. However, now discussions are on for divesting only 12.5 per cent in the Navaratna PSU," Patel told reporters here.

The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its guidelines mandating forest clearance prior to environmental clearance, saying the related procedures have delayed and stalled 22 important projects worth over R20,000 crore.

The highway authority has also sought a direction to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to modify its office memoranda (OM) of March and April 2011 so as to delink the two clearances in respect of widening of national highways.

20 Highway Contracts Stuck Due To Red Tape Over Environmental Norms

New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the environment ministry’s norms as a series of projects are held up due to green clearances. While infrastructure major GMR has already announced its exit from Rs 7,500 crore highway project, there are at least 20 highways contracts — each worth over Rs 1,000 crore — that have been awarded by NHAI but there fate remains unclear as the environment ministry is sitting over forest clearances. The projects have cleared one hurdle of getting environmental approvals but work cannot start until a green signal on the forest side is also received.

Following the PMO’s intervention to fast-track linear projects like roads, railway lines and power transmission lines, the Ministry of Environment & Forests has agreed to relax its guidelines for clearance of forest land falling in such project areas.

The MoEF has agreed to “facilitate phased preparation and processing” of linear project proposals. It has, however, added that a “technically feasible alternative alignment” for segments that fall in forest land will have to be provided. The user agency must resort to this alternate alignment in case forest clearance is not granted.

NHAI likely to take ministry to SC today for ‘failing to comply with delinking order’

The tussle between the environment ministry and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over who caused the alleged delays in approvals in highway projects came to a head on Tuesday with the NHAI threatening to take the ministry to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, accusing it of failure to comply with an earlier court directive to de-link forest and environmental clearances.