Finance Department decides without KSPCB permission; Government order likely to be approved in board meeting on December 2
Pollution Control Board funds to prevent elephant menace
Kere Manjunath ಕೆರೆ ಮಂಜುನಾಥ್
Bengaluru: The government has decided and ordered to transfer ₹426 crore from the board's account to the forest department without the approval of the State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) meeting and despite public objections.
The Finance Department has agreed to release ₹300 crore for railway barricade work in various districts of the state to prevent elephant menace and ₹126 crore for the K-Shore project without the permission of the State Pollution Control Board meeting.
'The State Pollution Control Board, which does not receive any grant from the state government, will have to bear all the expenses from its own revenue. If new staff are appointed, they will have to be given salary and allowances. Therefore, the board's ₹300 crore should not be given for afforestation and installation of barricades to prevent elephant menace. Also, the Accountant General has already objected to the board's contribution of ₹17 crore to the Chief Minister's Relief Fund. Concerns were expressed in the board meeting held on September 9 that there is a possibility of objection even if ₹300 crore is given.
After this decision, the State Pollution Control Board Member Secretary wrote a letter to the board's Chief Financial Officer and said, "There is a proposal to provide money to the Forest Department through a loan. This is an environmentally friendly activity. The Forest Department is a revenue generating department and the financial decision is taken by the government's Finance Department. The board meeting that releases the money has expressed the concerns of the members. The Investment Committee held on September 19 has directed to write a letter to the government to take a decision. The objections received from the public have also been directed to be submitted to the government and the Finance Department."
The Pollution Control Board Member Secretary, who wrote a letter to the government's Principal Secretary of the Forest, Biology and Environment Department on October 9, has requested that a proposal be submitted to the Finance Department along with the Board meeting, Investment Committee proceedings, and public objections regarding the release of money.
The Finance Department, which has received a letter from the Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department, has said that ‘₹200 crore can be obtained from the State Pollution Control Board for a period of four years at 7.5% simple interest. If the Forest Department wants to get another ₹100 crore, it can be obtained as a grant from the State Pollution Control Board.’ The Additional Secretary of the Finance Department has given approval (FD/621/EXP5/2024; FEE/427/EPC/2024) on November 27.
₹126 crore for K-Shore
‘For coastal Karnataka, the Forest Department can avail ₹126 crore as an interest-free loan from the State Pollution Control Board for plastic management and use it for the K-Shore project. The approval of the State Finance Department has been obtained,’ the Secretary of the Forest, Biodiversity and Environment Department issued an order (Government Order: FEE 41) on November 26.
No proposal has been submitted to the State Pollution Control Board for providing funds to K-Shore. There was no discussion in the board meeting. Approval has been given as per the proposal of the Forest Force Chief and Additional Chief Secretary of the Forest Department.
‘The decision of the board meeting is final’
‘No decision has been taken in the board meeting regarding providing funds to the Forest Department by the State Pollution Control Board. Despite the government orders, the decision taken in the meeting is final,’ said a senior State Pollution Control Board official who did not want to be named.
‘The 247th meeting of the board, which was to be held in the first week of November, was postponed until a new chairman is appointed. A meeting was held under the chairmanship of the acting chairman in the following days. It has been decided to hold the 248th meeting on December 2. The objection was raised that the government would approve what has already been ordered since the meeting was full of officers.
‘The government cannot take action without a decision being taken in the meeting of the State Pollution Control Board first. No important decision can be taken in the absence of a chairman who is not appointed as per the law in a statutory body,’ said lawyer Rishab Truckru and some public figures in a letter to the Forest Minister, top officials of the department, and the Board Member Secretary.
Computer, TV, fridge for the Minister’s office: Money from the board
For the daily use of the office of the Forest Department Minister’s private branch, 19 types of electronic equipment including computers, tabs, printers, TVs, UPSs, and fridges have been supplied with the money from the State Pollution Control Board.
Based on the note of the Minister’s Officer on Special Duty, the Board Member Secretary has approved the supply of equipment worth about ₹72 lakh.
No harm to the board: Ishwar Khandre
It has been decided to take up the work of afforestation and prevention of human-wildlife conflict by receiving ₹300 crore from the State Pollution Control Board. This is an environmentally friendly activity, for which the board has submitted a proposal to the Finance Department. The money collected by the Environment Board should be used for environmentally friendly activities. The purpose of the Forest Department and the board is the same. This is an internal adjustment. There is no harm to the board from this,' said Forest Minister Ishwar Khandre.
K-shore is a World Bank-sponsored project, under which plastic waste that is causing the death of aquatic animals in the sea will be curbed in three coastal districts. In addition, this money will also be used to grow Kandla forests to prevent sea erosion. The state government has to spend ₹126 crore, and the money will be received and spent in stages from the board. The World Bank will later repay it to the board, he said.
