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Core Purpose

The Central Government constitutes the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority and the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee for Himachal Pradesh under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Detailed Summary

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, through Notification S.O. 4217(E) dated 17th September, 2025, constitutes the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Himachal Pradesh, and the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) for Himachal Pradesh. This action is taken in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986), and in pursuance of previous notification S.O. 1533(E) dated 14th September, 2006, from the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests. The SEIAA is constituted with Shri Arvind Mehta, IAS (Retired) as Chairman, Dr. Sandeep Sharma as Member, and the Director, Department of Environment, Science Technology and Climate Change, Government of Himachal Pradesh, as Member-Secretary. The SEAC is constituted with Shri Sandeep Bhatnagar, IAS (Retired) as Chairman, Dr. Ashwani Tapwal, Dr. Ranbir Singh Rana, Dr. Maninder Jeet Kaur, and Sh. Kashmir Singh as Members, and the Chief Scientific Officer, Department of Environment, Science Technology and Climate Change, Government of Himachal Pradesh, as Member-Secretary. The Chairman and Members of both bodies will hold office for three years from the notification's publication date. The SEIAA shall base its decisions on SEAC recommendations, with decisions ordinarily being unanimous, but majority decisions must record dissenting views and be sent to the Central Government. Strict conflict of interest guidelines are established, requiring declaration of associations with consulting organizations and project proponents, prohibiting consultation on projects during tenure, and mandating recusal if prior consultancy services or Environment Impact Assessment studies were provided to any proponent in the preceding five years. The SEAC operates on collective responsibility, with the Chairman striving for consensus, though majority views prevail if consensus is not reached. The State Government of Himachal Pradesh is responsible for specifying an agency to act as the Secretariat, providing financial and logistic support, and for governing sitting fees, travelling allowances, and dearness allowances according to relevant State Government rules.

Full Text

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-19092025-266248 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 4100] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY SETEMBER 17, 2025/ BHADRA 26, 1947 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 17th September, 2025 S.O. 4217(E). In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) and in pursuance of the notification of the Government of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, vide number S.O. 1533(E), dated the 14th September, 2006 (hereinafter referred to as the said notification), the Central Government hereby constitutes the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Himachal Pradesh (hereinafter referred to as the Authority) as per the Table below, namely:— | Sr.No | Name of the Officers | Designation | | :---- | :---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :-------------- | | 1. | Shri Arvind Mehta, IAS (Retired) E-1 Maharani Bagh, New Delhi(India) | Chairman; | | 2. | Dr. Sandeep Sharma Scientist-G, Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Conifer Campus, Panthaghati, Shimla-171013 (Himachal Pradesh) | Member; | | 3. | Director, Department of Environment, Science Technology and Climate Change, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla 171001, Himachal Pradesh | Member -Secretary. | 2. The Authority shall take its decision on the recommendations of the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee constituted under paragraph 4. 3. All decisions of the Authority shall be taken in a meeting and shall ordinarily be unanimous: Provided that, in case a decision is taken by majority, the details of views, for and against it, shall be clearly recorded in the minutes and a copy thereof sent to the Central Government. 4. The Central Government, in consultation with the State Government of Himachal Pradesh, for the purpose of assisting the Authority, hereby constitutes the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee for the State of Himachal Pradesh, (hereinafter referred to as the Committee) as per the Table below, namely: - Table | Sr.No. | Name of the Officer/person | Designation | | :----- | :-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- | :------------- | | 1. | Shri Sandeep Bhatnagar, IAS (Retired) House No. 45, Sector-4, Chandigarh. | Chairman; | | 2. | Dr. Ashwani Tapwal, Scientist 'F' Forest Protection Division, Indian Council of Forestry Research & Education -Himalayan Forest Research Institute, Conifer Campus, Panthaghati, Shimla 171013 HP, India | Member; | | 3. | Dr. Ranbir Singh Rana, Principal Scientist, (Agronomy) Centre For Geo-Informatics Research and Training, Chaudhary Sarwan Kumar Himachal Pradesh Agriculture University, Palampur-176062, Himachal Pradesh. India. | Member; | | 4. | Dr. Maninder Jeet Kaur, Secretary cum Principal Scientist Himalayan Research Group Umesh Bhawan, Chotta Shimla-171002, Shimla, Himachal Pradesh | Member; | | 5. | Sh. Kashmir Singh, Advocate Ward No. 3, Nagar Parishad Area, Nadaun, Distt. Hamirpur, Himachal Pradesh-177033 | Member; | | 6. | Chief Scientific Officer Paryavaran Bhawan, US Club, Department of Environment, Science Technology and Climate Change, Government of Himachal Pradesh, Shimla-171001, Himachal Pradesh. | Member -Secretary. | 5. The Chairman and Member of the Authority and the Committee, shall hold office for a period of three years from the date of publication of this notification in the Official Gazette. 6. The Authority and the Committee shall exercise such powers and follows such procedures as specified in the said notification. 7. In order to avoid any conflict of interest,- (i) the Chairman and Members of the Authority, and the Committee shall,- (a) declare to which consulting organisation they have been associated with and also the project proponents; and (b) not undertake any consultation or associate with regard to preparation of Environment Impact Assessment and Environment Management Plan for project, which is to be decided by the Authority or to be appraised by the Committee during their tenure; and (ii) in the preceding five years, if the Chairman or any Member of the Authority, and the Committee have provided consultancy services or conducted Environment Impact Assessment studies for any project proponent, in that event they shall recuse themselves from the meetings of the Authority or the Committee as the case may be, from the process of appraisal of any project proposed by such proponents. 8. The Committee shall function on the principle of collective responsibility and the Chairman shall endeavour to reach a consensus in each case, and if consensus cannot be reached, the views of the majority shall prevail. 9. The State Government of Himachal Pradesh shall specify an agency to act as Secretariat of the Authority and the Committee which shall provide financial and logistic support, including accommodation, transportation and such other facilities in respect of their functions under the said notification. 10. The sitting fees, travelling allowances and dearness allowances to the Chairman and Members of the Authority and the Committee shall be paid in accordance with the provisions of relevant rules of the State Government of Himachal Pradesh. [F. No. IA3-1/4/2022-IA.III ] RAJAT AGARWAL, Jt. Secy. Uploaded by Dte. of Printing at Government of India Press, Ring Road, Mayapuri, New Delhi-110064 and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054. GORAKHA NATH YADAVA Digitally signed by GORAKHA ΝΑΤΗ YADAVA Date: 2025.09.19 11:12:06+05'30'

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