In a major step toward balancing industrial growth with ecological conservation, the Assam Government has formally established two key statutory bodies to evaluate and streamline industrial and developmental projects across the state.
The long-awaited institutional overhaul is aimed at accelerating project clearances while ensuring strict compliance with ecological safeguards.
According to the official notification, the newly constituted State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) will be headed by Shyamanta Bezbarua, a retired PWD Secretary, serving as its Chairman.
The SEIAA will act as the primary regulatory body responsible for issuing final decisions regarding environmental clearance applications for category 'B' projects.
Supporting the authority, the state has also formed the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC). Chaired by retired IFS officer Jatindra Sarma, this expert panel is tasked with the technical review of project proposals and will offer data-driven recommendations to the SEIAA.
Formed in accordance with the directives from the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, both high-level bodies will hold a four-year tenure.
Officials state that this dual-panel framework will significantly reduce bureaucratic delays for greenfield projects while maintaining rigorous environmental oversight.