Bhopal: Scam In Environment Clearance, 450 Nods Given Without Holding SEIAA Meeting

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): Scam in giving environmental permission for setting up industries is among a plethora of irregularities in the state.

The nod for projects worth crores of rupees was given, setting aside the green laws. The principal secretary of the environment department approved the recommendations of the environment clearance without any authority.

According to sources, nearly 450 cases were treated as deemed permission without holding a single meeting with the officials of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority.

The member secretary of SEIAA, Uma Maheshwari, and Shriman Shukla, in charge of the organisation, issued the permissions. The principal secretary of environment, Navneet Kothari, approved these recommendations.

But the principal secretary of SEIAA does not have the authority to give environmental permission.

The SEIAA was formed on January 7 this year. The Environment Department of the Central Government issued a notification appointing SN Singh Chauhan as its chairman and Sunanda Raghuwanshi as its member.

According to a provision, if SEIAA fails to hold any meeting to discuss a case within 45 days of its submission, deemed permissions are given. Taking advantage of the rule, permissions were given for setting up industries.

The SEIAA chairman has been regularly telling the officials to hold meetings to dispose of the cases. He also wrote to the member secretary, Uma Maheshwari, umpteen times for holding meetings which were not held to take advantage of the rule.

The purpose of avoiding meetings was to give benefits to miners, builders and contractors. According to environmentalist Ajay Dubey, it is a criminal offence.

He said the meetings were not held to give deemed permission. Dubey said he would complain to the environment department of the Central Government and lodge criminal cases against those officials who gave such permissions.

Provisions for punishment under Environment Protection Act

According to section 15 of the Environment (Protection) Act, those who violate the green laws will be sent to jail for five years and asked to pay a sum of Rs 1,00,000 as a fine.

SEIAA independent body, out of government control

The SEIAA is an independent unit. The environment department of the Central Government issues notifications for its formation. The environment department of the state government facilitates the office-bearers of SEIAA. The government has no control over it. Thus, it gives environmental permission without screening the cases.