TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The Ministry of Environment and Forest has granted one year validity extension to the Terms of Reference (ToR) for development of the Greenfield International Airport, at Mopa.
A senior official at the Secretariat, confirming that extension of validity of ToR has been granted for one year, which will end on June 1, 2015, claimed that this will authenticate the ‘legality’ of the public hearing on the Mopa Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report held on February 1.
The extension was granted at a recent MoEF’s Expert Appraisal Committee meeting on projects related to infrastructure development, coastal regulation zone, building/ construction and miscellaneous projects. The earlier extension had expired on June 1, 2014. Thereafter the BJP government had applied for extension of validity of ToR for development of its flagship project – the Mopa airport.
The opponents of Mopa Greenfield International airport had accused the BJP-led government of conducting an illegal environment impact assessment (EIA) study followed by a public hearing on the project, after the expiry of the ToR period given by MoEF.
The ToR for the project was granted on June 1, 2011 for the development of the airport. On November 22, 2012, the proponent wrote to MoEF seeking extension of validity of ToR and the same was granted on June 19, 2013 with a validity up to June 1, 2014.
