7-Feb-2022: Plantations under CAMPA
Plantations taken up in various States under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) are regularly monitored by State Forest Departments through internal monitoring and evaluation mechanism of the States and also through third party monitoring by external agencies. Forest Survey of India also carries out analysis of geo-spatial data (polygons) of plantations being uploaded by the State Forest Departments on e-Green Watch portal for accuracy of location, area and year of plantation. State Forest Departments also conduct on-ground surveys of the plantations raised under CAMPA fund and submit the Monitoring report to the Ministry.
As per information received from various State CAMPA Authorities, there is no incidences of non-existence of plantation raised under CAMPA fund reported so far.
16-Dec-2021: Awareness towards good green
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change supports the States/Union Territories for carrying out afforestation activities through various Centrally Sponsored Scheme and funds under CAMPA to expand green cover across the country. The Ministry on various occasions like International Day of Forests, World Environment Day, Van Mahotsav, Wild life Week, International Day for Biological Diversity etc. disseminates knowledge in planting trees and other floral species which are naturally grown in a particular region through various Conferences, Workshops, Mass Plantation etc. State Forest Departments also promotes knowledge of local indigenous species of trees, herbs and shrubs along with their medicinal properties through Books, Pamphlets, Sign boards, Brochures etc.
The Ministry has also through its advisories issued from time to time to State/UT Governments on afforestation programs/activities emphasized that the plantation of locally suitable tree species should be on the basis of local climatic and soil conditions. The National Mission for a Green India also encourages the plantation of mixed indigenous species along with grasses, herbs, shrubs and tree species. Exotic and invasive plants are avoided in afforestation in forest areas.
The National Medicinal Plants Board (NMPB), Ministry of AYUSH has also launched a Medicinal Plant species-specific campaign on Tinosporiacordifoliaviz ‘Amrita for Life’, for promotion and creating awareness. Further, NMPB has also launched, ‘20 medicinal plants for 2020’, campaign to promote, cultivate and to create awareness among local people about rich diverse traditional knowledge on medicinal plants.
29-Aug-2019: Centre releases Rs. 47,436 crores for afforestation to various states.
In a major boost towards promoting afforestation and achieving green objectives of the country, Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar, handed over Rs.47,436 crores of CAMPA funds to various states. The State budget for forests shall remain unaffected and the fund being transferred would be in addition to State Budget and it is expected that all States will utilize this fund towards forestry activities to achieve the objectives of the Nationally-Determined Contributions (NDCs) of increasing its forest & tree cover, which will create an additional carbon sink equivalent to 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by the year 2030. The CAMPA funds cannot be used for payment of salary, travelling allowances, medical expenses, etc.
Underlining the efforts of the Government towards preserving and improving the forest wealth and ecological security of the country, Shri Javadekar said “Important activities on which the fund will be utilised will be for the Compensatory Afforestation, Catchment Area Treatment, Wildlife Management, Assisted Natural Regeneration, Forest Fire Prevention and Control Operations, Soil and Moisture Conservation Works in the forest, Improvement of Wildlife Habitat, Management of Biological Diversity and Biological Resources, Research in Forestry and Monitoring of CAMPA works etc.”.
Background of CAMPA: With the initial experience of the States regarding underutilization of the money collected towards compensatory afforestation, Hon’ble Supreme Court of India ordered for establishment of Compensatory Afforestation Fund and Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) in 2001. In 2006, separate bank accounts were opened in which the compensatory levies were deposited and ad-hoc CAMPA was established for the management of Compensatory afforestation fund. In 2009, Hon’ble Supreme Court permitted release of Rs.1000 crore every year to States/UTs for compensatory afforestation and other activities. In 2014, Hon’ble Supreme Court permitted release of 10% of total deposit of states in the fund from interest accrued on the deposits. This Act has provisioned that CAMPA funds shall be kept in interest bearing non-lapsable Public Account. After detailed deliberations with CAG and Ministry of Finance and deliberations with other Stakeholders, the fund flow mechanism could be finalized and the CAF Rules were finally put in place in 2018. After notification of CAF Rules, with approval of the Supreme Court on 28 Jan 2019, an amount of Rs.54,685 Crore from Ad-hoc CAMPA has been brought under the control of Government of India. So far 27 States/UTs have created accounts for receiving the Funds from Union Government and today funds to the tune of Rs.47,436 crore have been transferred to those States. The Fund shall be utilized as per the provisions of the CAF Act and CAF Rules.
9-Feb-2018: Environment & Finance ministries finalising transfer of Rs 50,000-crore CAMPA funds to states
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) is in deliberation with the Ministry of Finance over the future of compensatory afforestation (CA) funds collected by the Centre. The procedure to transfer the fund to the states is being finalized with the Ministry of Finance.
Currently, the CA funds, amounting to roughly Rs 50,000 crore, are with the ad hoc Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). The ad hoc body was created by the order of Supreme Court on July 10, 2009. The CAMPA was created as National Advisory Council under the chairmanship of the environment minister for monitoring, technical assistance and evaluation of compensatory afforestation activities.
The CAMPA money belongs to the state. It was only kept temporarily with the centre. Now that the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act 2016 (CAF) has been passed, the fund has to be transferred to the states for utilisation.
This is the first time such fund has to be transferred and the question of how to do that transfer is being debated. It might be routed through the Consolidated Fund of India to the Public Account of India.
The CAF Act has a provision for creating a national fund with contributions from user agencies—any person, organisation, company or department of the Central Government or state government making a request for diversion or de-notification of forest land for non-forest purpose.
According to the Act, the fund will be used for “compensatory afforestation, additional compensatory afforestation, penal compensatory afforestation, net present value, catchment area treatment plan or any money for compliance of conditions stipulated by the Central Government while according approval under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.”