New Delhi, March 16 As the Centre has proposed setting up standing bodies to expedite the green clearance process in states and Union territories, experts have raised concerns about the criteria for selecting the members for the new bodies, which could lead to a weakened scrutiny of projects.
According to a draft notification issued on March 5, the new bodies would assume the functions of the existing State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEAC) whenever these state-level institutions become non-functional due to the expiry of their tenures or delays in reconstitution.
While the SEIAA grants environmental clearances, the SEAC advises it in appraising the project.
The new bodies – Standing Authority on Environment Impact Assessment (SAEIA) and Standing Committee on Environment Impact Appraisal (SCEIA) – would comprise "ex officio members", meaning government officials or bureaucrats, nominated by the Central government.
Subhrajit Goswami, a researcher with the Centre for Science and Environment, told