India’s big push at China border

New Delhi: The Narendra Modi government is going ahead with a massive defence infrastructure boost in the eastern sector bordering China, considered India’s Achilles’ Heel, and will ease environmental clearance norms under a new policy where the defence ministry need not approach other ministries for environmental clearance for building border roads and strategically important projects within 100 km of the Line of Actual Control.

Under the new policy, the environment ministry will also soon ease norms for clearances that will give decision-making rights to the states without compromising any environmental concerns.

This policy will be framed in such a way that a state government can take decisions on environmental and forest clearances for defence infrastructure projects, including roads within the 100 km range of the LAC, minister of state for environment (independent charge) Prakash Javadekar said Thursday. The government’s aim, he said, was to put in place a “simpler, transparent and predictable” approvals policy.