Bhubaneswar: To facilitate quicker approvals for forest land required for various development initiatives, the Odisha government has announced the initiation of weekly review sessions every Tuesday. This decision was disclosed during a meeting led by Satyabrata Sahu, the additional chief secretary of the Forest, Environment, and Climate Change department. The primary aim of these meetings is to tackle the challenges faced in the forest land clearance process.

During the recent meeting, discussions revolved around 26 significant projects involving key stakeholders such as the Ministry of Railways, Indian Oil Corporation, Ekalabya Model Residential Schools, and Odisha Power Transmission Corporation. A timeline was established to address issues and expedite approvals. The review focused on diverse sectors, including railways, oil and gas, power transmission, and water resources. Sahu emphasized that these weekly meetings will monitor the progress of both ongoing and future projects, ensuring that obstacles related to forest land clearance are promptly addressed. This proactive strategy is designed to simplify the approval process for development projects, which frequently encounter delays due to intricate environmental clearance requirements, thereby facilitating the smooth execution of essential infrastructure projects in the state.