New Delhi, Nov. 2 -- In a move expected to unlock stalled investments and accelerate infrastructure growth, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has decided that the time lost by projects in legal or insolvency proceedings will no longer count against their environmental clearance (EC) period.

By treating such litigation delays as a 'zero period', the government aims to prevent developers from having to reapply for clearances, an exercise that has slowed or stranded several large projects across sectors.

Announced through a notification on 30 October, the reform rationalizes the validity of environmental clearances granted under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. Officials said the mov...