Environment Ministry releases state-wise list of projects given sanctions

New Delhi

The Environment Ministry today released state-wise list of public utility projects which have been given forest and environmental clearances between May 2014 and April this year, highlighting the performance of Narendra Modi government in past two years.

As per the details, environment clearances have been given to various projects worth Rs 1,35,634.95 crore in Maharashtra having the potential of generating 11,030 jobs.

It was followed by Andhra Pradesh where projects worth Rs 93,738.82 crore having potential of creating 9758 jobs were given clearence while in Gujarat 19 projects worth Rs 42,373.1 crore having potential of 4540 jobs were sanctioned.

In Delhi, environment and forest approvals have been given to projects worth Rs 1518.89 crore having a potential of generating 3,330 jobs.

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar had earlier told PTI that over 2,000 projects involving Rs 10 lakh crore investment, which were stuck for years and some of them in key sectors, have been given environmental clearance in the last two years.

Javadekar had also said that in line with the government’s policy of ease of doing business the average waiting period for approval of projects has been brought down to 190 days from 600 days during the UPA regime and the aim now is to slash it further to 100 days.

Some of the projects cleared by the Environment Ministry in the last two years were in important sectors such as roads, railway network, pipelines, irrigation canal and others.

“We have cleared over 2,000 projects. This has unlocked Rs 10 lakh crore investment and it has the potential of creating direct employment of millions of jobs. This is not a small thing. The projects were unnecessarily languishing. Now there is no pendency,” Javadekar had told PTI in an interview.

PTI