Maharashtra Chamber of Housing Industry (MCHI) has made a representation to the Union Environment Minister Jayanti Natrajan, complaining about delays in getting green clearances from the state expert appraisal committee (SEAC).
Representatives of the MCHI met with Natrajan at a function organised by the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Associations of India (CREDAI) in Delhi last month and pointed out that the SEAC’s screening process took two years on an average for a project to get clearance. They also said the committee was concerned more about factors such as floor space index (FSI) and development control issues, which come under the purview of the local civic body, than environment.
“We will follow this up with a written representation to Jayanti Natrajan pointing to our worries with regard to the expert appraisal committee,” said Paras Gundecha, President, MCHI, adding the committee has over 450 projects waiting for a go ahead.
The MCHI recently had also complained about the same to State Chief Secretary Ratnakar Gaikwad, who had asked Environment Secretary Valsa Nair to look into the issue. Though the SEIAA is recommendatory by nature and the apex state environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) can overrule the decisions made by it, such overruling is kept minimal by protocol.
Officials maintain this committee is not supposed to scrutinise and judge how FSI granted to the developer will affect the city or what should be the slot for public parking. That is the job of the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation.
