Govt submits fresh proposals to SC to transfer CAMPA funds to states
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New Delhi: The Central government has submitted a new plan to Supreme Court for its clearance to transfer funds to states under an ambitious afforestation programme, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said Saturday.
The minister hoped that the apex court would soon give its nod to the Environment Ministry to distribute the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) funds to states to promote afforestation and regeneration activities.
The matter regarding distribution of CAMPA funds has been pending before the Supreme Court, and the government has submitted its policy to it which will enable the states to get the funds, he said.
"For the last 12 years, Rs 36,000 crore have been deposited in the ministry's kitty because of some court issues. They are the CAMPA funds.
"Now we have come up with a new plan, the new scheme and guidelines... We have submitted it to the Supreme Court. I am very sure that next month we will get the nod and we will be able to distribute money to the states," Javadekar said.
He was speaking after releasing a book titled 'Rising to the Call: Good Practices of Climate Change Adaptation in India', brought out by advocacy group Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) here.
The money will be given to the states with an "explicit condition that this is not replacement of your budget and this is additional for creating the carbon sink," he said.
Amounts to be realised in future in lieu of forest land diverted for non-forest purpose will also be credited directly to the said fund.
Five per cent funds will be retained by the National CAMPA for the purposes of monitoring and evaluation of schemes implemented in the states, and setting up of institutes, societies, centre of excellence in the field of forest and wildlife.
