Karnataka govt removes KSPCB chairman

The state government on Thursday removed Shanth Avverahally Thimmaiah as the chairman of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) and placed principal secretary, Ecology and Environment in charge till a new candidate is selected.

The removal was done through a corrigendum to appointment notification issued on November 15, 2021. "There has been an error in recording the date of his (Thimmaiah) tenure. Mr Shanth A Thimmaiah was appointed only for the remaining period of the three year tenure of Mr Jayaram (beginning on March 5, 2019), However, the date for his completion of tenure has been erroneously recorded as 14.11.2024 instead of 04.03.2022," it said.

A fresh notification accompanying the corrigendum cited Section (5)6 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act to note that Thimmaiah's tenure "has been completed" as on March 4, 2022. The vacancy caused by his removal will be filled by fresh nomination as per the Act, it said.

DH had on July 25 reported on the state government violating the law. While the act says that any appointment made during an ongoing term was limited by the remaining period, the state government had given a fresh tenure of three years to Thimmaiah.