Centre allows pause in environmental clearance validity during court stays, experts raise concerns
New Delhi: The Union environment ministry has decided that the period during which infrastructure projects remain stalled due to court proceedings or cases before the National Company Law Tribunal will not be counted towards the expiry of their environmental clearances. The move is expected to benefit several large projects currently held up in litigation, including the Great Nicobar Holistic Development Project.
The decision, issued through an office memorandum on October 30, states that delays caused by legal challenges are beyond the control of project developers, and often lead to environmental clearances expiring before construction or production can begin. Under existing rules, if a project does not start operations or complete construction within the validity period of the clearance, a fresh clearance is required which is a process that can add further delays.
The ministry said the validity period will now be adjusted to exclude the duration of litigation or insolvency proceedings, effectively treating that time as “zero period” for calculating the clearance validity. The change, it said, is intended to “rationalise” the timeline so that project proponents are not penalised for delays arising from legal disputes.
However, where litigation-related delays stretch beyond three years, state pollution control boards will be required to review site conditions and may add additional safeguards at the stage of issuing Consent to Operate.
The decision comes even as key projects under litigation continue to face scrutiny. The Great Nicobar project is under challenge before the National Green Tribunal, while several hydropower projects in Uttarakhand have remained stayed by the Supreme Court since 2013.
Mallika Bhanot who is a member of the Ganga Ahvaan collective has criticised the relaxation, saying that in regions such as Uttarakhand, where landscapes have changed significantly due to repeated disasters, an older clearance may no longer reflect current ecological realities. “To consider earlier clearances as valid in a post-disaster Himalayan state will have severe ramifications,” she said.
Debadityo Sinha of the Vidhi Centre for Legal Policy said the new provision alters a core condition laid out in the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, which has the force of law under the Environment (Protection) Act. “An office memorandum cannot override a statutory notification,” he said, adding that the move could dilute accountability and allow projects previously flagged for violations to benefit from ongoing stays.
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Minister Patil inaugurates Amazon’s Corporate Office in Bengaluru
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister for Large and Medium Industries M B Patil on Monday inaugurated Amazon’s newly constructed, fully equipped 11 lakh sq ft corporate office near Yelahanka here.
Built on a five-acre site approximately 15 kilometres from Kempegowda International Airport, Amazon said this is its second largest office in Asia.
The 12-storey campus will support over 7,000 employees across ecommerce, operations, payments, technology, and seller services in India, Amazon said in a statement.
Patil said this is Amazon’s 10th corporate office in the state. The company, which has shared a two-decade association with Karnataka, plans to invest USD 35 billion in India over the next four years.
"This investment is expected to support 15 million small businesses and generate lakhs of employment opportunities. Karnataka will receive a significant share of this investment," the minister said after inaugurating the new office.
The minister pointed out that Karnataka has an annual per capita income of over Rs 3.80 lakh, ranking highest in the country.
According to him, the state also stands second in annual GST contributions to the national exchequer, contributing Rs 1.6 lakh crore. Bengaluru has climbed to the 21st position globally in the Global Innovation Index and is the only Indian city to feature among the top 30 in the Tech-Cities Index.
Last year, the city recorded 14.6 million square feet of industrial leasing, the highest in the country, he said.
Of the 900 Global Capability Centres (GCCs) in India, nearly 35 per cent are located in Karnataka, he added.
In a statement issued by the minister's office, Patil said the state also leads in infrastructure required for e-commerce operations, with warehousing capacity of 42.48 lakh tonne and 233 cold storage units. Correspondingly, e-commerce transactions in the state are growing at 11 per cent annually.
To further promote industrial growth, projects such as dedicated freight rail corridors, multimodal logistics parks, dry ports and truck terminals have been planned. Patil urged Amazon and other global companies to leverage Karnataka’s industry-friendly ecosystem by enhancing their investments in the state, manufacturing here and exporting to global markets.
According to Samir Kumar, Country Manager, Amazon India, "India continues to be a long-term priority for Amazon, and Bengaluru has played a central role in our journey here. Over the years, the city has been home to some of our earliest technology and business teams, and today it remains a key hub for innovation and talent."
