The Kerala Coastal Zone Management Authority (KCZMA), the nodal agency for overseeing the implementation of Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) guidelines, is all set to undergo a sea change in its structure, with the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change insisting on reconstituting it, in line with Central guidelines. The term of the existing authority will expire on March 31.
Recently, the Ministry had asked the State government to make changes in the selection pattern for two key operational posts of the authority - Chairman and Member Secretary - in tune with practices followed elsewhere in the country. The Ministry had suggested that the Principal Secretary, State Environment Department, be made Chairman in place of the Principal Secretary (Science and Technology). Currently, Suresh Das is the Chairman of KCZMA in his capacity as Principal Secretary (Science and Technology) and also the Executive Vice President of the Kerala State Council for Science, Technology and Environment. K. Marapandiyan is the current Principal Secretary, Environment.
The Ministry had also suggested that either the Chairman of the Kerala State Pollution Control Board or the Director of the Department of Environment and Climate Change be made the Member Secretary of the authority. Till recently, senior scientists and officials from research institutions were considered for the post of Member Secretary.
However, two-and-a-half years ago, the government had appointed George Varghese, a college lecturer, to the post. Mr. Varghese, was made Member Secretary on July16, 2013. His tenure was extended by one more year by the State government recently. The files relating to his appointment have been submitted to the office of the Vigilance and Anti-Corruption Bureau, said the Public Information Officer of the Department of Science and Technology on a query, invoking the provisions of the Right To Information Act, in January. The government is also understood to have nominated five independent members in place of the existing three. The changes were made on instructions from the Central government and the files will be submitted soon, sources said.
The Centre has asked for changes in selection pattern for two key posts of the authority.
