MARGAO, Feb. 27 -- KARSTEN MIRANDA

The Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has postponed its decision on granting forest clearance for the controversial Mollem railway doubling project. The proposal, submitted by the Goa government and Rail Vikas Nigam Ltd (RVNL), remains in limbo due to environmental concerns.

During a meeting on Wednesday, the committee reviewed the request but opted to seek further clarification before making a determination. "The proposal was discussed, but additional information is needed from the project proponents before a decision can be reached," an official familiar with the proceedings said on condition of anonymity.

The Goa government has p...