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Core Purpose

Draft notification proposing amendments to the Environmental Relief Fund Scheme, 2008 under section 7A of the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991, inviting public objections and suggestions within sixty days.

Detailed Summary

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change issued S.O. 2919(E) dated 19 July 2024, publishing a draft notification proposing amendments to the Environmental Relief Fund Scheme, 2008, in exercise of powers under section 7A of the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 (6 of 1991), as amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of Provisions) Act, 2023. Objections or suggestions may be submitted in writing within sixty days from the date the notification is made available to the public, to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi 110003, or electronically to [email protected] or [email protected]. The draft, to be called the Environmental Relief Fund (Amendment) Scheme, 2024, would take effect from the date of publication. It proposes inserting a new clause (iii) after clause (ii) of sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph 3, adding penalties and additional penalties collected under the Act, and interest or returns on investments of the Environmental Relief Fund, as fund sources, to be monitored separately by the fund manager. It also proposes inserting a new paragraph 7A, under which the Central Government, upon receipt of an application in Form 1A of the Public Liability Insurance (Amendment) Rules, 2024, would scrutinize damage and determine funds to be sanctioned to the Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board, with the Fund Manager to sanction funds in Form V and the boards to maintain records and submit annual reports; the Central Government would monitor fund utilization. The draft substitutes a revised Form-II (an order sanctioning interim relief for death or injury from hazardous substance accidents) and inserts a new Form-V (order sanctioning funds to CPCB/SPCB for environmental damage restoration, under sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 7A). The notification was issued under File No. HSM-12/96/2020-HSM and signed by Naresh Pal Gangwar, Additional Secretary.

Full Text

REGD. No. D. L.-33004/99 The Gazette of India CG-DL-E-25072024-255716 EXTRAORDINARY PART II-Section 3-Sub-section (ii) PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 2782] NEW DELHI, TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2024/SHRAVANA 1, 1946 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 19th July, 2024 S.O. 2919(E) – The following draft notification which the Central Government proposes to issue, in exercise of the powers conferred by sections 7A of the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 (6 of 1991), for bringing out amendment in the Environmental Relief Fund Scheme, 2008 is hereby published for information of the public and other stakeholders likely to be affected thereby and notice is hereby given that the said notification will be taken into consideration by the Central Government on or after the expiry of sixty days from the date on which copies of this notification as published in the 'Gazette of India are made available to the public; Any person interested in making any objection or suggestion on the proposals contained in the draft notification may do so in writing within the period so specified through post to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi 110003 or electronically at email address: [email protected] or [email protected]. Draft Notification In exercise of the powers conferred by section 7A of the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 which has been as amended by the Jan Vishwas (Amendment of the Provisions) Act, 2023 the Central Government, hereby makes the following amendments in the Environmental Relief Fund Scheme 2008, namely: - 1. Short title and commencement: (1) This scheme may be called Environmental Relief Fund (Amendment) Scheme, 2024. (2) They shall come into force from the date of publication in the Official Gazette. 2. In Environmental Relief Fund Scheme, 2008 (hereinafter referred to as the principal scheme), after clause (ii) of sub-paragraph (4) of paragraph (3), the following clause shall be inserted, namely: - “(iii) (a) penalties and additional penalties collected under the Act; (b) interest or returns earned on the investments of the Environmental Relief Fund.”. Provided that the funds collected under clause (iii) shall be monitored separately in the accounts of Environmental Relief Fund by the fund manager. 3. In the principal scheme after paragraph 7, the following paragraph shall be inserted, namely: - “7A. (1) The Central Government shall, upon receipt of the application in Form 1A of the Public Liability Insurance (Amendment) Rules, 2024 in accordance with sub-section (1) of section 7 of the Public Liability Insurance (Amendment) Act, 2024, scrutinize the extent of the damage caused and determine the amount of funds to be sanctioned to the Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board, as the case may be, for compensating the such damages. (2) The Fund Manager shall, upon receipt of recommendation of the Central Government as to the amount of fund to be sanctioned under sub-paragraph (1) of paragraph 7A by an order, sanction the fund in Form V, and disburse it from the Environmental Relief Fund to the Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board. (3) The Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board or Fund Manager shall maintain proper records and documentation of the utilization of funds and shall submit annual reports to the Central Government detailing the progress of environmental remediation activities. (4) The Central Government shall monitor the utilization of funds disbursed to the Central Pollution Control Board or State Pollution Control Board. 4. In the Principal Scheme, for Form-II, the following Form shall be substituted, namely: - FORM-II SERIAL NO: Collector: Date ORDER I hereby sanction Rs........(Rupees...as an interim relief in respect of the death/injury of Shri/Shrimati/Km.....resulting from accidents due to manufacture, processing, treatment, package, storage, transportation by vehicle, use, collection, destruction, conversion, offering for sale, transfer of the like of such hazardous substances which took place at......(Name of the unit & Place) on to Shri/Shrimati/Kumari...as the legal representative of the deceased or to (Name of the injured). Signature of the Collector Copy to: 1. Fund Manager 2. Office of the insurance Company 3. The Claimant 4. Collector office file 5. The Owner concerned 5. In the Principal Scheme, after Form-IV, the following Form shall be inserted, namely: - FORM-V (under sub-paragraph (2) of paragraph 7A) Application No: Date ORDER I hereby sanction Rs..............(Rupees for restoration of environmental damage as shown by Central Pollution Control Board / State Pollution Control Board resulting from an industrial operation which took place at........................(Name of the unit & Place) on (date and time) .................... to Central Pollution Control Board /State Pollution Control Board. Signature of the Concerned Authorized Officer Copy to: 1. Fund Manager 2. Office of CPCB/SPCB [F. No. HSM-12/96/2020-HSM] NARESH PAL GANGWAR, Add. 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.

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