Public purpose projects to get speedy green nod: Javadekar

Long delayed ‘public purpose projects’ in sectors like highways, ports and railways are in for speedy green clearance on the lines of expeditious environmental nod that defence projects have got recently. Declaring this, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said the country needs infrastructure for progress and it can be ensured without compromising on environment as he is working with the slogan ‘development without destruction’.

He said that after taking over as Minister, he first focussed on speedy clearance of defence projects, regarding which there was a huge pendancy during the previous UPA government. Javadekar has already given clearance to a number of defence projects and streamlined the process for others like infrastructure development along the China border by empowering the respective states to take decisions. Next in line for clearance are projects related to highways, roads, ports, railways and linear transmission, he said. ‘I want to deliver and deliver on account of development of the country. Therefore, next we have taken national highways, roads, railways, ports, airports and linear transmission,’ the Minister said.