Do not auction coal blocks in inviolate areas, says Union environment ministry

Union environment ministry has asked the coal ministry not to auction coal blocks in inviolate areas, a senior officer said on Wednesday.

"Of the coal blocks to be auctioned, we have already checked how many can be given clearance and how many cannot be given clearance. We have already given that list to the coal ministry. We have said that all the blocs which are in inviolate areas should not be put on auction," Union Environment Secretary Ashok Lavasa said.

He said various steps have been taken by the environment ministry to make the process of clearance more simple and transparent without diluting any of the conditions.

"We are creating an integrated page on our website where people will be able to apply for environment clearance, wildlife clearance and forest clearance on the same page," Lavasa told reporters.

"We have also asked the committees giving clearances to meet thrice a month in order to expedite the process," he said.

Lavasa said India would be able to prepare Intended Nationally Determined Contributions (INDC) and submit it to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) by 2015.