Even as the SC had on August 4 rejected its plea to grant six months, the ministry of environment, forests and climate change pled for time till December 15 to finalise the framework of the proposed authority.

The SC Green Bench had called for a categorical response by September 15 as to whether the government was willing to comply with its 2011 directive for putting in place a national regulator, with its offices across the country, for appraising projects, enforcing environmental norms for approvals and to further impose penalties on polluters.

The regulator, if set up, will substantially alter environmental governance in India. It would take most of the operational work away from the environment ministry, which would then be left with the primary job of framing policy guidelines. The Centre’s repeated failure to meet the deadlines set by the SC and apparent reluctance has been perceived as its attempt to hold on to the absolute power to grant clearances.

The ministry’s affidavit filed on Monday stated: “The new government has taken over only on May 26, 2014, and considering the serious nature of the matter, as also brought out by the Honb’le Supreme Court, the government wishes to finalise the framework of the proposed regulator/authority carefully.”

The ministry said: “The delay in implementing court orders has occurred during the time of the previous government and the same should not result in making a hasty decision by the present government.”

The government informed the court that it has constituted a panel of four ministers — environment minister Prakash Javadekar, transport minister Nitin Gadkari, power minister Piyush Goyal and chemicals and fertiliser minister Ananth Kumar — to prepare the framework.

As per the affidavit, the ministers had their first meeting on September 8, wherein they noted that the consultation with states had been inadequate in the previous regime and so a meeting of the state environment ministers should be convened before deciding on the issue. This meeting has been fixed for October 15.

The ministers also discussed the “improvements brought in the environment clearance process in the tenure of the present government” regarding green clearances. It further apprised the court about instituting another panel that will review and draft amendments to the five key laws over environment, forest, wildlife, air and water.

The high-level committee, headed by former cabinet secretary TSR Subramanian, has been given two months to submit its report,which the government said would be “helpful in firming up the proposal for setting up the regulator”.

The government’s plea is likely to be taken up on Friday.