Govt's policy matrix for allocating green resources

In a bid towards transparent and swift allocation of scarce natural resources, including airwaves, a high-powered government committee headed by former finance secretary Ashok Chawla will devise a policy matrix to suggest the changes required in the current methodology in different central ministries and departments.

A report will be given in the next four weeks. Known as the Committee on Open and Competitive Mechanism for Allocation, Pricing and Unilisation of Natural Resources, it was set up to suggest measures for tackling corruption.

Such natural resources will include land, water, minerals (including petroleum products like oil and gas) and radio frequency (spectrum). The committee will consider multiple issues such as public welfare, revenue maximisation, sectoral precedents etc. The policies, therefore, would be tailored differently, depending upon the context of each sector.

In a meeting today, the committee has stressed upon the need for a centralised and transparent database in respect of all natural resources handled by the central government, said a government release.

This database should be accessible to all government departments for expediting clearances without overlapping and delay. It was highlighted that this sort of database shall ensure coordination among different ministries and departments and shall obviate many of the legal disputes pending in various courts of law.

The committee has secretaries of various ministries like petroleum, environment, water, land resources, defence telecom, coal and expenditure as its members. It also has representations of industry chambers such as CII and Ficci.