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Govt planning body to monitor environment
The Union Government
is setting up a National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Authority
(NEAMA).
“This will be a
professional, science-based autonomous entity tasked with environmental
appraisals and monitoring of compliance conditions,” said Mr Jairam Ramesh,
Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment and Forests. “Once
appraised by NEAMA, projects would be sent with a recommendation to the
Minister of Environment and Forests for approval.”
He said NEAMA will
mark a major improvement over the current system — wherein the Ministry does
appraisal and approval of new projects — in several ways. It will be a
full-time entity of professionals tasked with environmental appraisals on
ongoing basis, instead of the current system of appraisals done by
environmental appraisal committees that are ad hoc and meet about once a month.
In this sense, it will convert a slow batch process into a continuous process,
bringing greater rigour in the appraisal process while avoiding unnecessary
delays, he said, adding besides addressing the ‘conflict of interest' issue by
separating the process of appraisal and approval.
While NEAMA will be
tasked with appraisal of new projects, the Ministry will be responsible for
final approval.
Delivering the
Lawrence Dana Pinkham Memorial Lecture 2011 at the convocation of Asian College
of Journalism here today, Mr Ramesh said the Government must not only be
anchored in fiscal prudence but should equally look at the ecological
sustainability for our growth trajectory in the next two decades.
Mr Sashi Kumar
Menon, Chairman, Asian College of Journalism, and the institute's trustee, Mr
N. Ram, The Hindu's Editor-in-Chief, also spoke on the occasion.
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