Team Herald
PANJIM: Following directives from the National Green Tribunal (NGT), the Goa Government has drafted rules for appointment of Chairman and Member Secretary (MS) of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), making knowledge of environmental sciences and environmental management mandatory for both the posts. The candidate has to also be a resident of Goa for at least 15 years, and the knowledge of Konkani is mandatory while that of Marathi is desirable.
NGT, in its order on August 24, had made special knowledge or practical experience in environment protection studies mandatory for the post of Chairman and MS of SPCBs in the country. It had directed States to examine the appointments of their existing chiefs in their respective SPCBs and set aside the same if in violation of the law within three months. States were asked to draft new rules.
The Department of Environment has now drafted rules termed ‘Goa State Pollution Control Board (Qualifications and other Terms and Conditions of Service of the Chairman and Member-Secretary) Rules, 2016’. As per the rules, the appointment of Chairman would be decided by a selection committee headed by the Chief Minister while the Member secretary would be selected by a committee chaired by the Chief Secretary.
“The department will soon release the advertisement inviting applications for the two posts,” highly placed departmental sources confirmed.
Since March, GSPCB has been headed by Chief Secretary RK Srivastava after its chairman Jose Manuel Noronha was appointed as chairman of the Goa Public Service Commission. The three-year tenure of the existing GSPCB and its member secretary Levinson Martins ended earlier this year.
The rules have granted relaxation for appointment of officers on deputation in the both positions if he or she is working in a public sector undertaking or a University or an autonomous body or statutory body.
