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Journalism of Courage
The Centre Monday assured the Supreme Court that it would within four weeks put in place a national environment regulator for appraising projects,enforcing environmental conditions for approvals and to further impose penalties on polluters.
The governments promise was prodded by a censure by the court,which raised doubts if the authority was being delayed since the government did not want to give up its exclusive power of granting environmental clearances.
A Bench led by Justice A K Patnaik pointed out that the order regarding appointment of the regulator was passed in the 2011 Lafarge judgment but the government was yet to set up the authority in compliance with the court order.
Even your Prime Minister has in his speech said a national environment regulator was being set up. Where is it? It has been long. This order was passed in July 2011 and we are more than two years down the line but it is not there, the Bench asked Solicitor General Mohan Parasaran.
Parasaran conceded to the position that the regulator had not been appointed till date but said the process was on and that the government was committed to comply with the court orders.
He requested four weeks time from the court,which accepted his plea and asked the government to set up the authority within the time sought.
While allowing French cement major Lafarge to mine limestone in the forests of Meghalayas East Khasi hills,the apex court had in its 2011 judgment asked the government to set up a national environment regulator and said till this was done,an interim arrangement would be put in place by the MoEF in consultation with states. The idea was to lay down comprehensive guidelines for forest clearances.
The Prime Minister had last year declared that a proposed National Environment Appraisal and Monitoring Authority was underway and that this authority would revamp the process of granting environmental clearance and remove the licence permit raj.
