MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT & FORESTS, GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
New Delhi, 15th July , 2009
CAMPA: WHAT THE SUPREME COURT ORDER OF JULY 10TH 2009 MEANS
On July 10th,2009, the Supreme Court passed an order on the CAMPA issue in response to
an affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment & Forests, along with a report by the Ad-
Hoc CAMPA Committee and endorsed by the Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
These orders have finally resolved a crucial matter that had lay frozen for almost 7 years.
Since October 2002, about Rs.9,900 crore of principal amount and Rs.1,300 crore of
interest amount has accumulated under the CAMPA account. This is money lying in banks
and to be used for compensatory afforestation and other related ecological security-
enhancing purposes.
Over the past few weeks, MoE&F, CEC, the Attorney General and the Amicus Curiae of the
Supreme Court have been engaged in discussions to break the 7-year deadlock over
utilization of CAMPA funds. The July 10th, 2009 Supreme Court order directs the
following:
• That the State CAMPA guidelines prepared by the MoE&F for utilizing CAMPA
funds should be notified and implemented. These guidelines envisage
(i)
A state-level CAMPA Governing Body under the chairmanship of the
CM;
(ii)
A state-level CAMPA Steering Committee under the chairmanship of the
Chief Secretary; and
(iii) A state-level CAMPA Executive Committee under the chairmanship of
the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
• There will be a National CAMPA Advisory Council under the chairmanship of the
Union Minister of Environment & Forests for monitoring, technical assistance and
evaluation.
• That as an interim arrangement to get CAMPA going, 10% of the accumulated
principal amount will be released per year (for the next five years) by the Ad-Hoc
CAMPA Authority set up by the Supreme Court Order of May 2006 under the
chairmanship of DG-Forests to State CAMPAs. This money will be used for
projects identified by the State CAMPA that form part of the state fore