Conflict of interest: Mines secy told to step down as PCB chief

NGT ORDER Tribunal directs Aparna Arora to leave the pollution board post

Citing conflict of interest in the appointment of secretary, mines and geology as the chairperson of Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Vasundhara Raje government to remove the official from the RSPCB top post.

In an order, the NGT said that the official shall “cease to function” as the chairperson of the pollution board.

Rajasthan is among the 10 states whose pollution board heads have been asked to step down by the NGT.

Chairperson of RSPCB Aparna Arora, who refused to comment, only said that the order was not specific to Rajasthan but for 12 states.

In its June 8 order, the tribunal’s vacation bench headed by Justice Raghuvendra S Rathore, in the case Rajendra Singh Bhandari vs State of Uttarakhand, stated that despite being granted time most of the states have not complied to its August 24, 2016, judgment on appointing duly qualified persons as member secretary and chairman of the state pollution control boards (SPCB) and pollution control committees (PCC).

The tribunal observed that “The present chairman of the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board was posted as secretary, mines and geology and also

RAJASTHAN IS AMONG THE 10 STATES WHOSE POLLUTION BOARD HEADS HAVE BEEN ASKED TO STEP DOWN BY THE NATIONAL GREEN TRIBUNAL

given additional charge of the pollution control board from July 4, 2016. Needless to say, clearances are sought in respect of mines and it is to be considered and cleared by none else but the state pollution control board.”

The tribunal took firm note that while some states have initiated the process of appointing duly qualified chairman, the SPCBs of Himachal Pradesh, Sikkim, Tamil Nadu, Uttarakhand, Kerala, Rajasthan, Telangana, Haryana, Maharashtra and Manipur, despite having been given ample time (over nine months), have failed to comply with the tribunal’s order.

The NGT order further states, “In most of the states, the chairmen of SPCBs/PCCs are either the same persons as before the judgement was passed or are persons who have been appointed post the judgement but again do not meet the required qualification.”

In view of this, the tribunal directed, “We deem it just and proper and in the interest of public at large to order that the chairman of Himachal Pradesh Pollution Control Board, chairman of Sikkim Pollution Control Board, chairman of Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board, chairman of Uttarakhand Pollution Control Board, chairman of Kerela Pollution Control Board, chairman of Rajasthan Pollution Control Board, chairman of Telangana Pollution Control Board, chairman of Haryana Pollution Control Board, chairman of Maharashtra Pollution Control Board and chairman of Manipur Pollution Control Board shall cease to function as chairmen of the respective pollution control boards.”

The NGT has given Delhi, UP and Punjab two months to frame the rules and regulations and another month to make the appointments.