New Delhi, February 25,2009The Supreme Court today restrained the Centre from transferring about Rs 10,000 crore collected as compensation from business enterprises and agencies for allowing projects in forest areas to the Consolidated Fund of India. The fund was for utilisation for a Green India project and allocation to states for afforestation works.
A Forest Bench, headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, ordered that the fund should continue to remain with the ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Agency (CAMPA) that has been set up at its initiative.
The agency would “scrutinise” the 23 site-specific afforestation proposals already received from various states and submit its proposals to the court in six weeks, the Bench said.
Other states could also submit similar proposals within four weeks to the CAMPA for its perusal, the apex court said. The court would then release funds to the states and Union Territories, depending upon its recommendations.
The order came after amicus curiae Harish Salve objected to the Green India programme to be implemented by the Centre and the transfer of the fund, first to the Consolidated Fund and then to public account.
The two proposals were envisaged in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2008, that was in the process of securing Parliamentary approval despite serious objections raised by the Standing Committee. The bill would make the SC plan “stand on its head” as the fund was meant to be given to the same states from where it was collected, counsel Salve contended. Differing with Salve’s contention, Solicitor General GE Vahanvati, however, did not oppose the apex court’s order for keeping the fund with the CAMPA.
Salve said it was unfortunate that the funds had remained unutilised for four years despite the Supreme Court order. Under the court-envisaged plan, Himachal Pradesh alone would be able to earn Rs 25 crore as interest on its share, which was three times higher than its annual plan allocation of Rs 8 crore for afforestation.
Source:- http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090226/nation.htm#9
A Forest Bench, headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, ordered that the fund should continue to remain with the ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Agency (CAMPA) that has been set up at its initiative.
The agency would “scrutinise” the 23 site-specific afforestation proposals already received from various states and submit its proposals to the court in six weeks, the Bench said.
Other states could also submit similar proposals within four weeks to the CAMPA for its perusal, the apex court said. The court would then release funds to the states and Union Territories, depending upon its recommendations.
The order came after amicus curiae Harish Salve objected to the Green India programme to be implemented by the Centre and the transfer of the fund, first to the Consolidated Fund and then to public account.
The two proposals were envisaged in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Bill, 2008, that was in the process of securing Parliamentary approval despite serious objections raised by the Standing Committee. The bill would make the SC plan “stand on its head” as the fund was meant to be given to the same states from where it was collected, counsel Salve contended. Differing with Salve’s contention, Solicitor General GE Vahanvati, however, did not oppose the apex court’s order for keeping the fund with the CAMPA.
Salve said it was unfortunate that the funds had remained unutilised for four years despite the Supreme Court order. Under the court-envisaged plan, Himachal Pradesh alone would be able to earn Rs 25 crore as interest on its share, which was three times higher than its annual plan allocation of Rs 8 crore for afforestation.
Source:- http://www.tribuneindia.com/2009/20090226/nation.htm#9
No comments:
Post a Comment