Plea to stop govt from diverting CAMPA funds

THE SC CREATED THE CAMPA FUND IN 2002 AND DIRECTED THE GOVERNMENT TO TAKE MONEY FOR PROJECTS IN FORESTS

NEW DELHI: Over ~50,000 crore of funds collected under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) is lying unutilised for almost 11 years. And more than a year after the Parliament passed a law — Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act — to transfer the fund from ad-hoc CAMPA account to National Fund/state Fund, there is no clarity on the use of the money.

Now an application has been filed before the Supreme Court, asking it to restrain the transfer of the monies lying with the ad-hoc CAMPA account. Advocate ADN Rao, who has been assisting the court in forest matters, wants the court to direct the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MOEF) to place before the court draft rules to implement the 2016 law.

Rao pointed out that successive government failed to operate CAMPA notification, which the government issued in 2004 pursuant to SC orders.

The top court had in 2002 created the CAMPA fund and directed the government to take money from user agencies under the scheme while according approvals to projects under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. The order was issued by SC’S forest bench that was constituted after rampant encroachment was reported in forests.

In compliance of court orders, the government in March 2004 issued the notification constituting CAMPA. Due to one reason or another CAMPA Notification did not become operational and large amounts of monies were lying with various authorities.

Rao requested the top court to ask the Ministry to inform it about utilization of money and explain why CAMPA has not been made operational despite the court upholding its constitutional validity in 2005.

In his plea, Rao said the follow up action for effective implementation of the objects of the said 2016 law had so far not been taken including regarding the notification of Rules. Only thereafter it will be known if the provisions/activities and the scheme of things were in conformity with SC orders.