In order to address delay in projects, Union Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan allowed linear infrastructure projects, such as roads, transmission lines and gas pipelines to skip approval from gram sabhas.
Under the Forest Rights Act, these projects required the approval of gram sabhas. The decision was taken considering that linear projects passes through several gram sabhas and securing clearance from every single such body is difficult.
The move is expected to benefit the 1,185-km Kochi-Koottanad-Mangalore-Bangalore gas pipeline project, which is delayed because of lack of clearance.
Union Environment and Forests Minister Jayanthi Natarajan announced that such projects need not get consent from gram sabhas anymore.
The move comes after the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) expressed concern over delay in several road projects because of lack of statutory clearances. NHAI claimed that contractors were walking out of projects because of such delays.
The Highways Authority wanted the Environment Ministry to de-link environment and forest clearance for linear projects, such as roads.
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