Adarsh: CRZ violation issue referred to MoEF

MCZMA discussed the alleged Adarsh Housing Society scandal at its meeting and examined relevant documents.

For the first time,the Maharashtra Coastal Zone Management Authority (MCZMA) on Wednesday discussed the alleged Adarsh Housing Society scandal at its meeting and examined relevant documents.

It has now referred the matter to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF).

During its Wednesday meeting,the matter was discussed by the 11-member committee,after the MoEF referred the matter to them. The issue of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) violation in the case of the Adarsh Cooperative Housing Society was discussed in the meeting. The Authority discussed the issue at length and examined relevant documents. It came to the conclusion that the case be referred to the MoEF for further necessary action, said Valsa Nair-Singh,environment secretary. Nair-Singh will be submitting a report on Monday to the MoEF regarding the matter.

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As per the norm,for all housing projects and those above Rs 5 crore,the MCZMA sends a recommendation to the MoEF. However,in this meeting,the MCZMA did not make any recommendation. It will be submitting files and transfer the relevant documents to MoEF.

The meeting was attended by principal secretary,Urban Development Department (UDD); principal secretary,Industries; principal secretary,Revenue; and director of Fisheries,among others.

According to environment department officials,Adarsh Society submitted a single-page presentation stating that the BMC and UDD had given them clearance and they had not violated any norms.

In its earlier interim report to the MoEF,the state environment department had stated that the MCZMA never received any application for CRZ clearance as required under the norms. The MCZMA has to send its recommendation to the MoEF for all projects.