The J&K Government has initiated the process to carry out independent evaluation of works taken up by the Forest Department under Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) scheme, in the past seven years.
After carrying out the evaluation internally, the Governmentwould now hire outside agencies for undertaking third party evaluation of workstaken up under the CAMPA scheme from 2012 to 2019.
“The department is in process of selecting agencies forevaluation of the CAMPA schemes. We have called bids and are in the process ofevaluating them,” said Chief Executive Officer, CAMPA Sarvesh Rai, adding theprocess for selecting agencies would be completed by end of this month.
The evaluation is being undertaken to ensure transparency inimplementation of the CAMPA scheme, which also provide for third partymonitoring of activities taken up under it.
Under the CAMPA, the Forest Department and other allied wingsundertake plantations, forest protection, wildlife habitat management,research, capacity building and other such activities for conservation offorests.
In 2018, the State Administrative Council had directed theForest Department to undertake internal evaluation of the multi-crore workstaken up under the CAMPA scheme during the seven-year period.
Subsequently, the Department constituted different teams tocarry out the evaluation of these works across the state.
The PDP-BJP Government had come under criticism for”disparity” in allocation of funds to different regions of the state under theCAMPA.
In 2013, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) pulled upJ&K Government for diverting CAMPA funds for purchase of carpets, LEDs,ACs, sofa sets, projectors, payment to private hotels, by the Department.
The auditor observed that the expenditure incurred was incomplete violation of guidelines issued by the Supreme Court.