1 more panel to clear big hsg projects

Mumbai: All new and pending construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq m coming up in the Mumbai metropolitan region (MMR) region will need an environment clearance from a newly-formed committee of the state environment department. 

    A total of 554 construction projects are awaiting environment clearance in Maharashtra, which already has a statelevel expert appraisal committee (SEAC). The second committee—SEAC-II—was formed this month to clear construction projects mainly in the MMR region. Maharashtra is the only state with two SEACs to clear construction projects. 
    The SEAC-II will comprise five members, including IIT staffers, retired BMC and Mhada officials and the deputy secretary (environment). 
    The SEAC-I was formed after the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) issued a notification in 2006, making environment clearance mandatory for construction projects with a built-up area of more than 20,000 sq m in the state. 
    "The MMR region has many construction projects in the pipeline and quite a few pending projects. The SEAC-II will clear these projects. It will accord environment clearance to construction projects in Thane, Raigad, Mumbai city and its suburbs," said state environment minister Sachin Ahir. "This will help speed things up." 
    Projects in Tardeo, Lower Parel, Parel, Matunga, BKC, Santa Cruz (E), Vile Parle, Andheri (E), Goregaon and Kurla, are awaiting green approval. 
Cong legislators flay the CM T he state government caught flak from its own legislators in the assembly on Monday for "slow" and "inefficient functioning". During a discussion on supplementary grants for urban development, water resources and tribal development departments, legislators from the treasury benches took the lead in hitting out at the government. Mumbai legislator Madhu Chavan (Cong) raised questions about the slow-decision making in the urban development department, which is headed by the CM. Legislator Yashomati Thakur (Cong) said, "The government says something and does something else." She made the remark while raising the issue of a proposed power project in Wardha. Ex-minister Nawab Malik (NCP) criticized the government for "inefficiency in spending" the budget allocated for improvement of backward areas in Mumbai. TNN