FC-11/158/2024-FC I/94270/2025
Government of India
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
(Forest Conservation Division)
Indira Paryavaran Bhawan,
Aliganj, Jor Bagh Road,
New Delhi: 110003
Dated: January, 2025
To
The Addl. Chief Secretaries of Forests/Principal Secretary (Forests),
All States Governments and Union territory Administrations
Sub: Streamlining the approval process as envisaged under para 4.2 of the
Consolidated Guidelines issued on 29.12.2023 and linear projects linked to
mining activities - reg.
Madam/Sir,
I am directed to refer to the above subject and to inform that a meeting
between the Ministry of Mines and Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
Change was held to review the various issues pertaining to mining sector including
coal mining. The issue related to general approval granted under para 4.3 of the
Consolidated Guidelines issued by the Ministry on 29.12.2024 and in respect of
roads projects linked to mining were also deliberated in the meeting for issuance of
clarification and streamlining the processes. Based on the deliberation held in the
said meeting, the Central Government, in accordance with the provisions of section
3C of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, hereby issues
further the following clarifications :
i. In cases where construction of projects, as specified under para 4.2 of the
aforementioned Consolidated Guidelines, involves felling of trees within the
forest land falling in the diverted RoW, the user agency shall pay ten times
the cost of plantation of trees marked for removal. The cost of plantation of
trees earmarked for removal shall be calculated as per local schedule of rates
for planting of all such trees. The State Forest Department shall carry out the
plantation, from such payments collected from User Agencies, on degraded
forest lands.
ii. Approach roads are an integral and ancillary feature related to mining. In
such cases, single approval is invariably granted by the Ministry as per
proposals submitted by the State Government. However, there may be cases
wherein such approach roads may not be included in the mining leases and
Mining Plan. Such cases of linear projects linked to mining and conceived
subsequently by the User Agency as outlined above shall be treated as stand
alone linear projects and shall be dealt and disposed off by the concerned
Regional Office of the MoEF&CC in accordance with the provisions of
Guidelines given at para 7.8(i)(e) of the Consolidated Guidelines.
iii. The mining leases where single consolidated approval under the Adhiniyam
for the mining lease and approach road has been granted by the Central
Government, the extension of validity of such consolidated approvals along
with the approach road can be granted by the State Government in
accordance with the provisions of para 7.4 (i) of the Consolidated Guidelines
issued on 29.12.2023. However, cases where separate approvals have been
FC-11/158/2024-FC I/94270/2025
granted for mining leases and for linear projects linked to mining leases such
as road, the extension of validity of Stage II approval in such cases can be
granted only for mining leases while approval granted for roads can be
transferred separately in favour of the new lessee following the procedure as
specified in the Consolidated Guidelines issued by the MoEF&CC on
29.12.2023.
In view of the above, the State Government and Union territory Administrations
are requested to take into consideration the guidelines mentioned hereinabove
while considering the proposals submitted under section 2 of the Van (Sanrakshan
Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
This issues with the approval of the Competent Authority.
Yours faithfully,
(Charan Jeet Singh)
Scientist ‘E’
Copy to:
1. Secretary, Ministry of Mines /Coal /Steel/ Power/ Railways/ MoRT&H/
Defence/MHA
2. Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Government of India
3. Principal Chief Conservator of Forests & HoFF, All States Governments and
Union territory Administrations
4. Dy Director General of Forests (Central) All Regional Offices of the
MoEF&CC
5. Nodal Officers, dealing with the matters related to the Van (Sanrakshan
Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, All States Governments and Union
territory Administrations
6. Head, NIC, MoEFCC for aligning the PARIVESH 2.0 as per above
