PIL against KSPCB chief posting

NT Correspondent

Bengaluru: The High Court has issued notice to the State Government and Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) Chairman Shanth Avverahalli Thimmaiah.

The court passed the orders on a public interest litigation filed by Pushpa A Gavadi, who has challenged the appointment of Thimmaiah as the KSPCB chairman.

The petition states that the government has failed to follow the High Court’s directions with respect to appointing a chairman to the board. One of the grounds is that Shanth Thimmaiah was the managing director of Metamorphosis Project Consultants Private Limited. Though Thimmaiah quit the post to take charge as KSPCB chairman, the appointment is in clear violation of HC’s direction in the matter, the petition stated.

According to activists, it is a clear case of conflict of interest as the present KSPCB Chairman had been previously associated with companies which were fined by the National Green Tribunal in pollution matters.