Adarsh never applied for green clearance: former MoEF official

The Adarsh housing society had not applied to the Centre for environmental clearance, a former director of the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) told the Adarsh inquiry commission on Monday.

The Adarsh housing society had not applied to the Centre for environmental clearance, a former director of the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) told the Adarsh inquiry commission on Monday.

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He claimed there was no application for the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance.

Deposing before the two-member commission, Bharat Bhushan, 60, said it was clear from the very first correspondence with the state government that the structure did not have CRZ clearance.

Bhushan based his observation on the report submitted by Valsa Nair Singh, secretary of state environmental department. “She informed that the building has not obtained the necessary CRZ clearance from the MCZMA [Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority]. The MCZMA has not sent any recommendation to the MoEF regarding clearance to be given to Adarsh,” said Bhushan.

“Also the FSI used is higher, but the issue should have come at the time of obtaining the clearance for which they have not applied,” he added.

Court defers hearing
The hearing on the cognisance of the charge sheet filed by the CBI in the Adarsh scam case has been deferred to August 30.

On Monday, the special court raised a query if any sanction was required to take the cognisance of the charge sheet filed against former minister Ashok Chavan.

Special public prosecutor Ejaz Khan informed the court that Chavan did not require any sanction, as he was just an MLA. “Offences were allegedly done when Chavan was a minister, but now he is not one.”

Khan submitted that there was no legal impediment as the high court hearing the case had not stayed the process of taking cognisance or passed any order of restraint. He informed the court that only the jurisdiction of the investigation agency was challenged, not the charge sheet.