Govt now set to bypass tribal rights to fast-track mining projects

Environment ministry says consent of tribals and settlement of land rights are not required at the time of giving initial go-ahead to projects coming up on tribals' traditional land

The Union environment ministry has eased the process for granting ‘forest clearance’ to fast-track mining and other industrial projects that fall on the traditional land of tribal people. 

Such projects will now not require consent of the tribal communities at the primary stage of their approval by the ministry. The state governments will also not need to settle the legal rights of tribals on the land assigned for these projects at the time of their initial assessment. 

These legally mandatory conditions of taking consent from tribals and settling their land rights, according to a ministry letter, can now be fulfilled