Provide Rs 1K cr to states for forests: SC to Campa

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New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Friday directed an adhoc body working on behalf of Campa, which was constituted for recovering funds in lieu of diversion of forest land for non-forest purpose, to release Rs 1,000 crore per year in the next five years to states for compensatory afforestation.

The adhoc body of Campa (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) was created on the direction of the apex court in which money received from user agencies towards compensatory afforestation, penal compensatory afforestation, net present value (NPV) of forest land, catchment area treatment plan are deposited.

A Special forest Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan passed the direction after taking note of the report of the the apex court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC) which agreed with the recommendation made by the adhoc Campa on July three.

While authorising Campa to disburse Rs 1000 crore every year for next five years to state Campa’s for utilising it for a scheme envisaged by states under Annual Plan of Operation (APO) relating to enhancement of forest and tree cover, it directed the Accountant General to audit the account every year.

Attorney General G E Vahanvati and senior advocate Harish Salve, who is assisting the court as amicus curiae in the forest matter, described the recommendations as “historic” and said Campa has collected Rs 11,000 crore which icludes Rs 1300 crore as interest component.

The Bench, also comprising Justices S H Kapadia and Aftab Alam, accepted other recommendations of adhoc body of Campa and directed that the guidelines and structure of state CAMPAs as prepared by the Ministry of Environment and Forest be notified/implemented.

The forest and environment ministry in an affidavit said the amount received by adhoc Campabody be allowed to be released as an interim measure only after the details of the bank account opened by the state executive committee in nationalised banks are intimated.

It said amount towards NPV and the protected area may be allowed to be released after the schemes have been reviewed by state-level executive committee and APO was approved by the state-level steering committee.