The Prime Minister Dr Manmohan Singh today said work is on to establish an independent national environmental appraisal authority. Dr Singh said, the authority will streamline the process of granting environmental clearances to various projects in the country. Addressing an international seminar in New Delhi, Dr Singh said the regulator would help and protect ecology without bringing back the license permit raj. The Prime Minister also expressed the hope that in future there would not be much litigation in projects due to environmental issues. Dr Singh said the UPA-II government has a target for greening 10 million hectares of forest land to increase incomes of the poor through a national Green India Mission.He said action for generating over 20,000 MW of solar energy by the year 2020 is underway. Dr Singh said through sustainable agriculture and water conservation, the government aims to increase productivity of dry land agriculture and increase efficiency of water use.Speaking on the occasion, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court Justice S H Kapadia urged the government to work out a stringent regulatory mechanism for pricing of minerals excavated in the country.He lamented that many state governments are flouting mining laws. Justice Kapadia said concept of environmental protection is an ongoing process.