Prakash Javadekar, who took charge as minister of state with independent charge of the ministry of environment, forest and climate change today, unveiled a new system for online submission of applications for environmental clearances.
Environmental clearances is considered one of the big bottlenecks for setting up a business in the country, especially for manufacturing plants and for infrastructure projects.
Javadekar said that before giving the final nod to the development projects, the new system would ensure transparency and time-bound clearance of applications.
"Under the new system, the applicant will have to register on the website, upon which he/she shall be provided with a password. This shall ensure security, while simultaneously maintaining transparency between the Ministry and the applicant," he said.
The applications related to forest clearances, shall also be made online next month.
The minister of environment further said, there shall be a maximum time limit for the entire approval process, with stage-wise timelines, and continuous efforts shall be made to bring down the timelines for each stage.
He said that growth and environmental protection go hand in hand; both are possible and there is no contradiction between the two.
