The National Green Tribunal has sought a detailed reply by February 24, next year, from the Rajasthan government on the total deposit in the state's Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) and spending from this fund so far, right from the constitution of the body.
In its order dated December 15, the NGT's Central Zone has also sought full particulars of the forest area diverted under the Forest Conservation Act 1980 and compensatory afforestation taken up under CAMPA upto 2014-15, along with the reasons for shortfall in it, if any, along with the action plan to clear the backlog.
The bench of the tribunal headed by its judicial member Justice Dalip Singh gave the directions to the Additional Principal Chief Conservator (Forest) Suresh Chandra, who appeared in the tribunal with an affidavit bearing details of plantation along the national highways and forest land.
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The tribunal, besides this, has also directed the government to hold the meetings of the governing body of the CAMPA, as early as possible to take stock of the progress on utilisation of the fund and with regard to future plans while seeking the details of the state-level steering committee held on December 14, 2009.
"Prima facie, it appears that the state of Rajasthan has been lagging behind other states with regard to the utilisation of CAMPA", observed the tribunal while seeking copy of the guidelines, if any, by National CAMPA Advisory Council for the functioning of the state-level CAMPA for its perusal.
It may be recalled that an environmentalist Babulal Jajoo had moved a petition in August stating that despite having a huge fund to the tune of Rs 546 crore with the forest department of state with CAMPA, no tress have been planted along the Jaipur-Delhi highway.
He had also alleged in his petition that the fund meant for forest development was utilised in other heads and that despite an annual operational plan being put in place five years ago for the optimal utilisation of this fund, no progress had been made since then.
Jajoo said that not a single meeting has taken place in past four years on the issue.
