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SC seeks an explanation from U’khand chief secy on CAMPA fund misuse
The report further said that funds were also reportedly used for fighting court cases and personal expenses.
The Supreme Court on Wednesday pulled up the Uttarakhand government for misusing compensatory funds meant for increasing green cover in the state to purchase I-phones, laptops, stationary among other inadmissible expenditures, terming it a “matter of serious concern” and seeking the state chief secretary’s response.
The matter came to light after a report of the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG), which examined the use of Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds made available to the Uttarakhand State Compensatory Afforestation Fund (SCAF) from April 2019 to March 31, 2022, revealed multiple financial irregularities.
“The CAMPA fund is to be utilised for increasing the green cover. Utilisation of the same for non-admissible activities and not depositing the interest as per the Act with the SCAF is a matter of serious concern,” a bench comprising justices Bhushan R Gavai and Augustine George Masih said.
Posting the matter for hearing on March 19, the bench added: “We direct the chief secretary of Uttarakhand to file an affidavit on these aspects.”
The CAG report was presented before the court by senior advocate K Parmeshwar, who is assisting as amicus curiae in a 1995 PIL, TN Godavarman Thirumulpad v Union of India, relating to multiple issues involving protection of forests and wildlife across the country.
The CAG report stated: “At the divisional level, ₹13.86 crore were diverted/ expended on inadmissible activities like state scheme — Harella, tiger safari work, renovation of existing buildings, expenses on personage visits, court cases, purchases of I-phone, laptops, fridges, coolers, stationary etc.”
The report further said that funds were also reportedly used for fighting court cases and personal expenses.
The CAMPA transferred ₹2,675.09 crore and ₹198.52 crore to the SCAF during 2019-20 and 2021-22, respectively, and as on March 2022, an amount of ₹2,873.61 crore was available under SCAF, the report said.
As per the CAF Rules, the money received towards SCAF cannot be used for any other state schemes.
The report also referred to non-payment of interest amounting to ₹275.34 crore between 2019-20 and 2021-22, despite repeated requests from CAMPA authorities. It said the state government acknowledged the issue and claimed that ₹150 crore of the interest liability was deposited in July 2023.
While the report did not specifically mention how many phones, laptops and stationary goods were purchased and by whom, it broadly classified the area-wise spending on the inadmissible items purchase. The highest diversion from the compensatory fund over the three years was noticed in Haridwar division ( ₹2.77 crore), followed by Kalagarh tiger reserve ( ₹2.69 crore), while the office of principal chief conservator of forest, Wildlife also incurred an unnecessary expense of ₹55 lakh.
The top court said if a satisfactory response was not received by March 19, it will ask the chief secretary to appear before it.
