Projects worth 10 lakh crore cleared by Env Min: Javadekar

PTI

Over 2,000 projects involving Rs 10 lakh crore investment, which were stuck for years and some of them in key sectors, have been given environmental clearance in the last two years, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said on Tuesday.

Javadekar also said that in line with the government's policy of ease of doing business the average waiting period for approval of projects has been brought down to 190 days from 600 days during the UPA regime and the aim now is to slash it further to 100 days.

Some of the projects cleared by the Environment Ministry in the last two years were in important sectors such as roads, railway network, pipelines, irrigation canal, and they remained stuck for approval for many many years. The Modi government completes two years in office on May 26.

Calling it a kind of "revolution", the minister said the projects given the go ahead by his ministry will generate millions of jobs and spur India's economic growth to a great extent.

"We have cleared over 2,000 projects. This has unlocked Rs 10 lakh crore investment and it has the potential of creating direct employment of millions of jobs. This is not a small thing. The projects were unnecessarily languishing. Now there is no pendency," Javadekar told PTI in an interview.

Listing initiatives to make the process of granting environmental clearance, he said approvals were accorded strictly following policy decision and principle of standardisation and decentralisation.

"Earlier average waiting period for project approval was 600 days. Now it has come down to 190 days without compromising on any environmental condition and actually making environmental condition more stringent. This is in a way revolution," he said.

The Minister said the Centre has not discriminated against any state while clearing the projects and all the state governments were happy as they have been made partner in the decision making process. .