Centre urged for early environmental clearance to Stage-II of Shri Singaji thermal power project
Bhopal: In a letter, Chief Minister Shri Shivraj Singh Chouhan has urged Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests (Independent Charge) Shri Prakash Javadekar for early environmental clearance to Stage-II of Shri Singaji thermal power project. The Stage-II of Shri Singaji thermal power project is being implemented by public undertaking of Madhya Pradesh Power Generating Company.
The Chief Minister said that this project has all the pre-requisites for early development, except EC. Ministry of Environment and Forest is not considering state government’s request for grant of environmental clearance for want of stage-1 forest clearance of the linked coal block, in view of mandate provided vide its OM dated April 19, 2012. On December 30, 2012, the ministry amended the provisions under above OM for Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPPS) and decided not to link environmental clearance to UMPPs with stage-1 clearance of the linked coal blocks.
The Chief Minister said that the state government has requested the ministry to provide similar dispensation in grant of environmental clearance to power projects of State PSUs, as being provided to UMPPs. State Government’s senior officers including the Chief Secretary have personally visited New Delhi and presented the case. However, response is still awaited. Implementation of Shri Singaji TPP (stage-II) would be delayed, if condition is not relaxed by the ministry for State PSUs also.
The Chief Minister has urged to bring power projecs of State PSUs at par with UMPPs, in so far as grant of of environmental clearance is concerned and expedite grant environmental clearance to Stage-II of Shri Singaji project.
