BENGALURU: Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Chairman Dr Shanth Thimmaiah was removed from his post on Friday. IFS officer BP Ravi, who is principal secretary, Forest department, has been given additional charge as chairman of KSPCB.
Shanth Thimmaiah, who was appointed during the previous BJP regime, was removed after he faced charges of serious irregularities while awarding work contracts in violation of rules laid down regarding approvals.
While rules specify that only a bureaucrat from IAS cadre or other such service can be appointed, Thimmaiah was charged with appointing a person who did not belong to the IAS cadre as member-secretary of the KSPCB, in spite of protests. He also allegedly favoured a plastic recycling private company which was closed down.