CUTTACK: The Orissa High Court has directed the Centre to take immediate steps for appointing the chairman and members of the Coastal Aquaculture Authority (CAA).The division bench of Chief Justice S Muralidhar and Justice BP Routray has directed the Union Ministry of Agriculture to file an affidavit on the timeline within which it proposes to fill up the vacancies. The bench observed that filling up the posts will have a meaningful effect on tackling the menace of illegal shrimp/prawn farming in coastal areas of Odisha.
“It must be noted at this stage that under section 12 of CAA Act, 2005, the Authority can whenever it thinks it necessary to do so, enter any coastal aquaculture land, pond, pen and enclosure and remove or demolish any structure that has been erected therein in contravention of the provisions of the Act. However, those powers obviously cannot be exercised unless there is a full-fledged and fully staffed Authority, “ the court stated.
The direction was issued after a special sitting on the PIL for restoration of ecology of the two wetlands - Chilika Lake and Bhitarkanika was held on August 14. Fixing the next date of hearing on the matter to September 23, the court has instructed the Ministry to file an affidavit by then. During the hearing, the court was informed that although the CAA Act came into force on December 22, 2005, till date no officer has been authorised by the Authority to file written complaints. The court was also informed that in the last two years, the post of chairman of the Authority has remained vacant.
Of 11 members in the Authority, there are at present only three comprising the member secretary (stationed in Delhi) and two expert members in Chennai. Consequently, the court felt section 14 of the CAA Act has remained a dead letter. Besides, the effectiveness of the Authority stands seriously undermined, denuding it of all the powers available to it under certain sections of the CAA Act.