MHA mulls revised norms for security clearance to projects

The MHA informed the Lok Sabha that 13 FDI proposals were pending this year.

To encourage foreign investments often held up by the security agencies for clearances, the government has come up with revised guidelines for such proposals. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday held a meeting with the ministry officials to finalise the draft guidelines for security clearances to various projects held up at the ministry’s end.

Under the new guidelines the government will have to decide on security clearances for any project forwarded by any ministry or department within a strict time-frame of 12 weeks. Not only this, any “adverse” report by the security agencies for any project will have to be shared with the concerned ministry or department compulsorily. Central agencies like the Intelligence Bureau (IB) and R&AW who have to run a background check, will also have to submit their reports within a month of receiving the proposal.

The MHA informed the Lok Sabha Tuesday that 13 FDI proposals were pending this year due to “want of comments” from central agencies and other departments. Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju told the Lok Sabha that the Ministry has received 14 FDI proposals in 2014 for security clearance in strategic sectors like aviation and telecom out of which only one has been cleared so far.

Rijiju said in 2013, a total of 42 FDI proposals were received by the MHA for security clearance and 27 of them had been cleared while in 2012, 36 FDI proposals were received for security clearance and 33 of these were granted clearance. The Minister dismissed the suggestion that there was “inordinate delay” by the MHA in granting security clearance.
“As decisions on issues relating to national security are taken with due care, the delay, if any, is a part of the process of due diligence,” he said.

Stay updated with the latest - Click here to follow us on Instagram