Lok Sabha Question No. 2984 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2016-03-15
Subject: Forest Clearance for Projects
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: G. HARI

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 2984

TO BE ANSWERED ON 15.03.2016

## Forest Clearance for Projects

## 2984. SHRI G. HARI:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be pleased to state:

- (a) the scheme/guidelines being followed for grant of Forest clearance with regard to public utility projects in the naxal affected areas of the country;
- (b) whether  the  said  scheme/guidelines  have  been  in  operation  since  2011  in  117 districts;
- (c) if so, the details thereof; and
- (d) whether  the  Government  has  extended  the  said  scheme/guidelines  to  December, 2018 and if so, the details thereof?

## ANSWER

MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI   PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d) 1. To  expedite creation of public utility infrastructure in  60  Left  Wing Extremism (LWE) affected districts identified by the Planning Commission for implementation of Integrated Action Plan (IAP) Scheme, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) vide letter dated 13 th May  2011  accorded general approval under section 2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for creation of critical public utility infrastructure of 13 categories, specified in this Ministry's said letter dated 13 th May 2011, by Government Departments involving not more than 5.00 hectares of forest land, in each case.
2. The 13 categories of projects covered under the said general approval are as below:
- (i) Schools,
- (ii) Dispensaries/hospitals,
- (iii) Electric and telecommunication lines,
- (iv) Drinking water projects,
- (v) Water/rainwater harvesting structures,
- (vi) Minor irrigation canals,
- (vii) Non-conventional sources of energy,
- (viii) skill up-gradation/ vocational training centers,
- (ix) Power sub-stations,
- (x) Rural roads,
- (xi) Communication posts,
- (xii) Police  establishments  like  police  stations  /outposts  /border  outposts /watch towers, in sensitive areas identified by the Ministry of Home Affairs, and
- (xiii) Underground laying of optical fiber cables, telephone lines & drinking water supply lines.
3. The  Central  Government  vide  letter  dated  16 th June  2011  exempted  the diversion of forest land in accordance with the said general approval from the requirement of compensatory afforestation.
4. The Central Government vide letter dated 10 th December 2012 extended the said  general  approval  to  additional  22  districts  identified  by  the  Planning Commission for implementation of the IAP Scheme.
5. The Central Government vide letter dated 1 st February 2013 extended the said general  approval  to  all  category  of  public  roads  and  quarrying  of  materials used in construction of public roads.
6. The Central Government vide letter dated 17 th May 2013 extended the said general approval to 35 LWE affected districts, from among the 106 districts selected  under  the  Security  Related  Expenditure  (SRE)  Scheme  being implemented by the Ministry of Home Affairs, which were not selected for implementation of the IAP Scheme.
7. The Central Government vide letter dated 5 th March 2014 extended the said general approval to setting up of "Medical College"  by  Government Departments  in  117  Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE)  affected  districts  as  per details given in this Ministry's letters of even number dated 13 th May 2011, 10th December 2012 and 17 th May 2013.
8. The  Central  Government  vide  letter  dated  4 th July  2014  extended  the  said general  approval  to  projects  involving  diversion  of  forest  land,  not  located within  the  protected  areas,  for  construction  of  two  lane  public  roads  by Government  Departments  in  117  Left  Wing  Extremism  (LWE)  affected districts,  as  per  details  given  in  this  Ministry's  said  letters  dated  13 th May 2011, 10 th December 2012 and 17 th May 2013, irrespective of the area of forest land involved in such projects.
9. The afore-mentioned general approvals were valid for a period ending on 31 st December, 2015.
10. The Central Government vide letter dated 25 th February, 2016 extended the period of validity of these general approvals for a further period of three years ending on 31 st December, 2018.