HYDERABAD: The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), the National CAMPA Authority, and the Telangana Forest Department jointly organised a one-day training programme on Digital CAMPA APO at a private hotel in Begumpet on Monday.
About 100 forest officers from Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, and Lakshadweep took part in the training. The programme was inaugurated by Dr C Suvarna, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests.
Under the Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016, CAMPA funds are meant for afforestation, forest conservation and wildlife protection. As per Rule 39 of the Act, all States and Union Territories must now submit their Annual Plans of Operation (APOs) online through the Digital CAMPA APO platform.
Suvarna said digital submission of CAMPA annual plans would ensure faster approvals from the Ministry. She added that the PARIVESH portal for forest clearances was already helping reduce delays. While acknowledging login issues faced by state forest officials, she said once resolved, the system would bring greater transparency, accountability and efficiency. She also suggested that other departments could adopt the system for quicker project clearances.
Nishant Verma, Joint CEO of the National CAMPA Authority, said approval of APOs will now be processed only through the Digital APO system and the PARIVESH portal, replacing the earlier manual process. He noted that 30 training sessions were conducted across the country, both online and offline, to familiarise officials with the new system.