Environment clearance for 156 projects in Goa

Union Minister for Environment Shri Jairam Ramesh informed Mr Shantaram Naik M.P. in the Rajya Sabha in a written reply to his question that 156 projects from Goa have been given environment clearance by his ministry in the last five years.

Out of this 111 were in non-coal mining category, 31 in construction category, 4 in infrastructure category and 10 in industrial category.

Mr Ramesh further informed Mr Naik that at present, two projects, one iron ore project and one construction project from the State are pending environment clearance but no proposal from the State of Goa has been rejected environmental clearance.

A moratorium has been imposed by the ministry on consideration of the mining projects from the State of Goa until the Mineral Policy of the State is finalized, he said.

Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Tribal Affairs informed Mr Shantaram Naik M.P . in a written reply to his question in the Rajya Sabha that the Government of Goa have not conducted a survey in Goa for identifying the beneficiaries under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers Act, or of the forest land over which the forest rights are to be recognized and vested under the Act.

When the claims for forest rights under the Act are filed, the same are verified by the Forest Rights Committees and findings are submitted to concerned Gram Sabhas to facilitate their resolution, Minister said.

As per the provisions of the Act and the Rules framed thereunder, the responsibility for implementing the Act lies with the State/Union Territories Governments, minister further said.

However the minister informed Mr Naik that the Government of Goa has appointed a Nodal Officer, taken steps for creating awareness about the provisions of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 and the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Rules, 2008, translated the Act and the Rules in Devnagri local languages.

The Goa government has also conducted a training programme for Village Panchayat Secretaries and wherever the forests exist, constituted 90 Forests Rights Committees for implementing the provisions of the Act and the Rules framed thereunder in the State.