Dehradun: Funds meant for compensatory afforestation in Uttarakhand were diverted to buying iPhones, kitchen appliances, building renovation, even fighting court cases, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said in its report.
The CAG report for the year ended 31 March 2022 covers the period 2019-22 on the “Functioning of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority” (CAMPA) in Uttarakhand and was submitted in the state assembly on Thursday. CAMPA comes under the Union environment, forest and climate change ministry.
The report pointed out that “at the divisional level, ₹13.86 crore were diverted/ expended on inadmissible activities. This included renovation of forest department buildings and purchases of iPhones and computers.
The report does not provide a break-up.
State forest minister Subodh Uniyal said, “The matter related to the functioning of CAMPA funds concerns the period between 2019-22. CAG report has raised some issues with regard to some issues like the diversion of funds. I have directed the principal secretary forest department to investigate the matter”
The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, helps manage funds collected from developers who convert forest land to non-forest uses. The money usually goes toward afforestation and regeneration activities.
{{/usCountry}}The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority, helps manage funds collected from developers who convert forest land to non-forest uses. The money usually goes toward afforestation and regeneration activities.
{{/usCountry}}The report also expressed its concern at the overall low average survival percentage of plantations, at 33.51%, lower than the 60-65% mandated by Forest Research Institute (FRI), Dehradun.
The report also said that forest land worth over 188.62 hectares was diverted for non-forest purposes (road work) in 52 cases in Uttarakhand without any permission. “ Further, the forest divisions did not take any cognizance of unauthorized use of forest land in these cases and did not book these as cases of forest offence”, it added.
According to Forest Conservation Act guidelines, no work on forest land can be started unless the order of diversion of forest land is given by the competent authority.
The report also pointed out that after review of annual plan of operation (APOs) of selected Forest Divisions regarding CAMPA funded expenditure in recent years, it noted instances of reduction of state funding for various forestry activities, ad-hoc and arbitrary planning.
CAMPA funding is not allowed to be used as a substitute for state funding of the forestry sector. However, the report pointed out that in recent years, the state was shifting its burden of specified forest activities (protection of meadows , soil and water conservation, strengthening of Van Panchayats , construction and renovation of buildings and repair of bridle path/forest road) to CAMPA.
Consequently, the expenditure of the relevant state schemes declined by 16.81% from 2019-20 to 2021-22, while that of CAMPA increased by 379.63%, the report pointed out.
Environmentalist Ajay Singh Rawat said, “At a time when the forest cover in the state has not seen any substantial increase over the years, diversion of funds meant for afforestation is a serious issue. The state government should investigate this matter and ensure that no such diversion of funds takes place. They should also investigate how authorities diverting forest land for non-forest purposes without any permission. Forest is the main wealth of Uttarakhand and any thing that affects this wealth should be seriously looked into by the state government.”
HT tried reaching out to the Chief Minister’s Office for its response but was yet to get a comment till the time of going to print.