Mines Ministry's Plea Seeking "Inappropriate" Exemption from NPV Rejected

Ministry of Environment refused Mines Ministry’s plea seeking exemption from 'forest penalty'. It called any exemption 'inappropriate' as per the SC mandate in this regard. Currently, Environment Ministry charges Net Project Value (NPV)- monetary estimate of the value of forest cover lost in mining or excavation projects- on flat basis. However, the Forest Advisory Committee said instead of charging 2 or 5% NPV, it may consider charging on borehole basis.