Question : Guidelines for Utilization of CAMPA Funds

(a) the present status of implementation of Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) Fund, State/UT-wise including Tamil Nadu;
(b) whether the Government has issued guidelines regarding spending/utilization of CAMPA funds by various States;
(c) if so, the details thereof along with the CAMPA funds allocated during each of the last two years, State/ UT-wise;
(d) whether the guidelines issued by the Government are being complied with and if so, the details thereof;
(e) whether any monitoring Committee has been constituted with regard to its expenditure or implementation and if so, the details thereof; and
(f) the manner in which the Ministry will ensure that CAMPA funds are utilized for the purpose for which they are released?

MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)


(a) Under the provisions of CAF Act, 2016, State CAMPA Authorities of 33 States/UTs have been established till date. States/UT CAMPA Authorities submit Annual Plan of Operations (APOs) every year for approval to National Authority. An amount of Rs. 48,477.77 crores collected towards compensatory levies has been transferred to 31 States/UTs for taking up various activities for forests and wildlife management as per Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016 and Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Rules, 2018.Details of funds transferred to States/UTs may be seen at Annexure I.

(b)&(c) Detailed guidelines regarding preparation of APO is given in CAF Act, 2016 and CAF Rules, 2018. APO is the annual plan for physical activities and financial provisions for various activities to be taken up for improvement of forest cover and other related activities and also includes brief description, estimated cost, basis for cost estimation, agency identified for execution and time schedule of each activity to be executed from State Fund during a year. The APO duly approved by the State Authority is required to be submitted every year to the National Authority for the next financial year. The amount of APOs approved for different States/UTs for the last 2 years is attached as Annexure II.

(d) (e) & (f) Mechanism for scrutinizing/ monitoring the fund utilization schemes under various Afforestation under Compensatory Afforestation Fund is provided in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Acts and Rules annexed here with. The CAF Act, 2016 also provides for a Monitoring Group, which assists the National Authority in evolving an independent system for concurrent monitoring and evaluation of CAMPA works so that CAMPA funds are utilised effectively and properly. The functions of the Monitoring Group have been defined in section 16 of the Act. The Ministry constituted a Monitoring Group in 2019. The States have their own established set of monitoring mechanism. Further, independent concurrent monitoring and evaluation and third party monitoring of works undertaken from State fund is a permissible activity and is included in the Annual Plan of Operations of the State CAMPA.

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