Archive · 3 Oct 2026
237 Madhya Pradesh Deemed Environment Permissions Face Supreme Court Scrutiny
Madhya Pradesh authorities treated 237 environmental cases as approved without making a regular decision.
The Union Environment Ministry told the Supreme Court that the rules do not allow this kind of automatic approval.
It said the state authority should examine the cases and decide them under the rules.
Three IAS officers who held relevant posts at the time are under scrutiny.
The ministry did not say whether the permissions were legal or illegal.
A committee said the state should examine all 237 cases one by one.
The Supreme Court is expected to hear the matter on October 13.
The committee also said the state’s environment bodies need better staff, offices and equipment.
The Environment Ministry told the Supreme Court that rules do not provide for deemed environmental permission.
The ministry said the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) should have decided each case under the rules.
The cases involve 237 permissions; the ministry advised the department to examine them individually.
Three IAS officers who held senior or acting roles when permissions were granted face scrutiny, though the ministry did not declare the decisions legal or illegal.
The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on October 13; a committee also recommended better staffing, offices, IT and logistics for SEIAA and SEAC.
- Who
- The Union Environment Ministry, Madhya Pradesh’s SEIAA and SEAC, and three IAS officers: Navneet Kothari, Uma Maheshwari and Shriman Shukla.
- What
- The Supreme Court is considering a dispute over 237 environmental cases granted deemed permission, which the ministry says is not provided for by the rules.
- When
- The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear the case on October 13; the article does not state the year.
- Where
- Madhya Pradesh, with the case before the Supreme Court.
- Why
- The ministry says the rules do not provide for deemed permission and that SEIAA should have decided the cases under the applicable process.
Ministry’s concerns
Context cited in the affidavit
Whether deemed permission was allowed
Ministry’s concerns
The Environment Ministry said the rules contain no provision for deemed permission and SEIAA should have decided under the rules.
Context cited in the affidavit
The affidavit said the acting member secretary appeared to have made the decisions with good intentions and through interpretations not clearly addressed by the rules; the ministry did not declare the decisions legal or illegal.
How the cases were handled
Ministry’s concerns
The ministry said SEIAA did not decide the cases in accordance with SEAC recommendations and advised examining all 237 cases.
Context cited in the affidavit
The committee reported that meetings did not take place and that differences existed between the SEIAA chairman and the then member secretary.
- Cases under review
- 237
- Ministry position
- The rules make no provision for deemed permission.
- Recommended next step
- Examine each of the 237 cases individually.
- IAS officers named
- Navneet Kothari, Uma Maheshwari and Shriman Shukla
- Scheduled hearing
- October 13; year not specified in the article.
- Committee recommendation
- Provide SEIAA and SEAC with staff, offices, IT facilities and necessary logistics.