Don't see major hurdle in Lavasa second phase: Maharashtra govt

The Maharashtra government does not foresee any major hurdle in the execution of second phase of Lavasa Hill City project in Pune district, provided it conformed to the guidelines issued by the Centre, Minister of State for environment Sachin Ahir said here today.

"We will examine all aspects of the project following the green clearance granted by Union Ministry of Environment and Forests. Some restrictions can be imposed, and if Centre's guidelines are strictly complied with, I don't see any major hurdle in the way," he told reporters.

The minister, who belongs to NCP, said if the government found anything in the first phase that could be considered violative of the Centre's guidelines, the Bombay High Court will be informed.

MoEF gave the nod for the first phase of the ambitious project, embroiled in controversy over violation of environment protection norms, earlier today.

The Ministry's decision came after Maharashtra government filed a case against the promoters of Lavasa Hill City for alleged violations of Environment Protection Act (EPA).

Filing of the case under the EPA was one of the key pre-conditions set by the Environment Ministry for granting clearance to the first phase of the project.