New Delhi, August 20: The Supreme Court today said there is no automatic go-ahead for Uttar Pradesh government’s project of constructing statues and memorials for Dalit leaders at Noida Park merely because the Centre has stated that environment clearance was not required for it.
It said such a stand of the Centre that the Environment Impact Assesssment (EIA) was not required for the project has to be discussed in detail before arriving at any conclusion.
“We cannot say fait accompli, otherwise, we may hear that some other projects are being cleared under the garb of this matter,” a special forest bench comprising Chief Justice S H Kapadia and Justices Aftab Alam and K S Radhakrishnan said.
The Bench was perusing the affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) which said the project of Mayawati government is covered under Area Development Activity requiring no EIA.
–Agencies