No more extensions for Adarsh: Jairam Ramesh

The environment ministry has turned down a request by Adarsh Housing Society to extend the deadline for replying to its demolition notice by a month. According to the officials in the ministry, the Society had, earlier this month, requested for a month more to file its reply; but was given an extra week only.

"We gave one week. That period is getting over and we will give a final decision next week," said a ministry official, who did not want to be quoted.

On November 12, the Adarsh Society was given three weeks to explain why the Ministry of Environment and Forests should not declare the entire 31 storey structure illegal and liable for demolition. The show cause notice by the Centre pointed out that the Society had failed to take the clearance of the Maharashtra State coastal regulation agency -- as required by the Coastal Regulatory Zone Act..

The Environment ministry is just one of the many agencies that are inquiring into the alleged scam. The defence ministry has ordered a CBI probe while the state government has instituted a judicial inquiry into the matter. Environment minister Jairam Ramesh, however, has clarified that his ministry's actions will not be determined by the outcome of the other inquiries.

"As far as we are concerned, it is enough for us to find out whether it had environmental clearance or not," Ramesh said, after announcing the issue of show cause notice. According to him, if found to be without a clearance, the entire building will be seized or demolished.

In the matter of the private 'hill resort' Lavasa, officials said company representatives have already made their presentations to the ministry. It will take a decision on whether or not to lift its 'stop work' notice on Lavasa on Wednesday -- a day before the Bombay High Court is expected to weigh in on whether or not to quash the 'stop work' notice issued by the Centre.

Lavasa has also been given 15 days more from Friday to submit all its documents and representations.