Rajnath Singh launches online portal for issue of NOC for power, oil and gas exploration projects

NEW DELHI: Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday launched a new web portal for issuance of No Objection Certificate (NOC) for power projects and Research Survey Exploration Exploitation (RSEE) activities in the Indian Territorial Waters (TW) and Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ).

Minister of State for Defence Shripad Y Naik was also present on the occasion.

Ministry of Defence (MoD) accords security clearances to various private and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) or Government organisations for power, wind or solar projects in areas nearby defence installations and also RSEE activities in the Indian TW and EEZ for applications received through different Ministries like Ministry of New and renewable Energy (MNRE), Ministry of Power, Ministry of Petroleum & Natural Gas, Ministry of Shipping, Director General of Hydrocarbons, the Ministry of Defence said in a statement.

To ensure ease of business and transparency in issuing NOC for such projects, the Ministry has developed the online application portal with the assistance of National e-Governance Division (NeGD), Bhaskaracharya Institute for Space Applications and Geo-informatics (BISAG) and National Informatics Centre (NIC), it added.

The newly developed MoD web portal will facilitate the applicants in submitting their proposals online for seeking MoD Security Clearance for undertaking Power Projects/RSEE activities.

The Online System will establish an effective, speedy and transparent mechanism to process these proposals. The Ministry has earlier launched a similar portal for grant of NOC for aerial survey.

Chief of Defence Staff & Secretary Department of Military Affairs General Bipin Rawat, Chief of Army Staff General M M Naravane, Chief of Naval Staff Admiral Karambir Singh, Chief of Air Staff Air Chief Marshal R K S Bhadauria and Defence Secretary Dr Ajay Kumar and other senior officials of MoD were present on the occasion.

Senior officials of other concerned Ministries joined the event through video conferencing.

(AGENCIES)