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Headless Biodiversity Board hobbles
Delay in appointment of a chairman for Telangana State Biodiversity Board (TSBB) continues to hamper several initiatives taken up by the department. Even the file related to the nomination of a chairman is stuck at the Chief Minister’s chamber.
- TS Biodiversity Board yet to have a chairman
- The Chief Minister hasn’t taken a call on the appointment of the chairman since coming to power
- Delay in recruitment said to be stone-walling projects
- Sources fear government deliberately delaying the process for ‘political accommodation’
Hyderabad: Delay in appointment of a chairman for Telangana State Biodiversity Board (TSBB) continues to hamper several initiatives taken up by the department. Even the file related to the nomination of a chairman is stuck at the Chief Minister’s chamber.
Ten members including four ex-officio (three principal secretaries to the government and a director of one of the research institutes), five expert members (scientists and one NGO) and a member secretary are currently with the board. The only vacant position is that of the chairman which remains to be occupied, with a government nomination. The delay has caused hiccups for most of the proposals put forward to the State government.
According to official sources, even though it has been over a year since the new government came to power, the Biodiversity Board is getting the least support. The board had come up with the proposal to declare two places as Biodiversity Heritage Sites—the Aquatic Biodiversity (Ameenpur Lake- Medak district) and Agri-Biodiversity site (Zaheerabad).
But there remains a ‘procedural delay’ in notifying these places. “After endorsement of the government we have to conduct a study. The proposals were forwarded to government. But procedural delay is hampering the progress,” rues a senior official.
The board continues to push forward its proposal for nomination of the chairman. However anxiety is growing that someone with lack of proper knowledge or scientific temper would be occupying this position. Sources fear that the government is deliberately delaying the process for ‘political accommodation’.
It may be recalled that Hyderabad had hosted the much hyped International Biodiversity Conference (Convention on Biodiversity) in 2012 by spending crores of rupees. The Bifurcation of AP and Telangana Board took place in the end of 2014. While AP Biodiversity Board recently nominated AV Joseph (IFS) as its chairman, the Telangana government is yet to take a decision.
By Md Nizamuddin
