Team Herald
PANJIM: Goa has initiated the process to appoint a new Chairperson and Member Secretary (MS) of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB) as the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Wednesday directed the chief secretaries of all States and Union Territories to fill up vacant posts in State Pollution Control Boards with suitable candidates within six months.
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A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel pointed out that there are serious deficiency and undue delay in recruiting the sanctioned manpower, adequacy and upgradation of laboratories that causing continued damage to the environment.
“We direct the CPCB to prepare a format which may contain qualifications, minimum eligibility criteria, required experience for the key positions and the specifications of equipment,” NGT said as it also directs State to procure requisite equipment for testing, including commissioning and upgradation of all laboratories.
Goa, however had already extended the term of the) by three months that ended in December, last year to continue its smooth functioning. It has made knowledge of Environmental Sciences and Environmental Management mandatory for the post of Chairman and Member Secretary (MS). Candidates have to resident of Goa for at least 15 years, and the knowledge of Konkani is mandatory while that of Marathi is desirable.
According to new guidelines, there would be 19 members’ board instead of 16 members that includes Chairperson, MS and 17 members to be nominated by the State government to represent agriculture, fishery or industry or trade and local authorities functioning within the State.
The recruitment would be done by the Selection Committee on contract or in deputation basis.
The tribunal said that if some of the State Pollution Control Boards find it difficult to recruit suitable candidates, a designated Committee of the MoEF and CPCB, in consultation with such State Pollution Control Boards, may explore the possibility of the central selection mechanism so that the talent pool can be made available for posting at appropriate locations.
In view of the findings in the CPCB report that at some places administrative manpower is more than technical manpower; such situation may be reviewed and remedied by the concerned States, the tribunal.
