Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal on Wednesday urged the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology Environment and Forest to empower the State authority to clear Environmental Clearance for minor mineral projects irrespective of their areas instead of present limit of 50 hectares.
The demand was raised by Badal before the Committee headed by Dr T Subbarami Reddy, who called on the Chief Minister.
Expressing concern over the inordinate delay in environment clearance for mineral projects of 50 ha, Badal said that the State cases regarding this were still pending with the central authorities for the last six months despite his personal frequent requests to the Central Ministers.
He demanded that the limit of 10 km from the international border and inter state boundary should be reduced up to one km for the environment clearance of mineral projects rooted through the Centre.
Discussing other issues pertaining to Industrial and Forest sectors, Badal said that the State Government had adopted a diversification programme under which alternative crops, agro activities and forestry would be encouraged to reduce the water-consuming crop of paddy consistently in next five years which would save the groundwater.
Badal asked the Committee to recommend the Centre to permit forestry under agro activity besides revision of 10 per cent enhancement in the limit of Rs 1000 crore for all states under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and farm forestry must be allowed under CAMPA.
On the issue of water cess collection from the industries and local bodies — which was attributed to the Consolidated Fund of India (CFI) and 80 per cent of it be reimbursed to Pollution Board after two to three years, Badal asked that Pollution Board must be allowed to retain this 80 per cent and deposit remaining 20 per cent in the CFI.
Badal also asked them to revise the 10-year-old water cess rates, which earlier fixed in 2003.
On the occasion, Reddy assured the Chief Minister to take up all these issues with the respective authorities and support to resolve soon. He also asked the state government officers’ team to visit New Delhi so that process could be expedited with committee’s support and guidance.