New independent regulatory body for environmental clearance: Prime Minister

25 Jul 2011 Evaluate

The Indian government is considering forming an independent regulator for speeding up the process of granting environmental clearance and helping to protect the ecology without bringing back the unpopular license permit raj.

The Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said an independent regulator - the National Environment Appraisal and Monitoring Authority - would soon revamp the process of granting environmental clearance and help to protect the ecology without bringing back “the hated licence permit raj”. “This authority could lead to a complete change in the process of granting environmental clearances. Staffed by dedicated professionals, it will work on a full-time basis to evolve better and more objective standards of scrutiny.”

However, Prime Minister also cited the importance of development of new technology, which can play vital role in solving rising environmental anxieties. “The task ahead is to design a system of intellectual property rights which provides adequate incentives to invest in development of new environment-friendly technologies and, at the same time, ensuring that these technologies become available to poor countries at affordable costs” said Dr. Singh.

S H Kapadia, the Chief Justice of India, brought up need for regulatory system for evaluating and pricing of minerals to battle illegal mining in various states of the country. “The biggest problem faced by the mining sector is that of pricing of minerals that are exported. Time has come for the excavated minerals to have a price-discovery mechanism. The ad valorem royalty is not considered, which results in public sector companies earning less profit margins and private companies, huge margins.  This is because of the difference between the royalties they pay to the Government and the amount they realise abroad. Due to this, illegal mining is going on in many States”, S H Kapadia added.

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