CAMPA

A Supreme Court order created CAMPA in 2001. For 15 years, it ran on legal borrowed time, as an “ad-hoc” body with no real statute behind it. Billions of rupees meant for planting trees sat in accounts, waiting for Parliament to finally give the whole arrangement a legal foundation.

15 Years Ad-Hoc, Then a Law

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2001–02

Supreme Court Order

Creates the fund concept

2009

Ad-Hoc CAMPA Formalised

Still no statutory basis

3 Aug 2016

CAF Act Enacted

Presidential assent

30 Sep 2018

Rules Take Effect

National CAMPA replaces ad-hoc body

2019–22

Uttarakhand Misuse Found

CAG flags Rs 13.86 crore diverted

2024–25

Rs 10,380 Crore Undistributed

Still sitting with the Centre

Same story, new decade: the fund waited 15 years for a law, and the money it collects still struggles to reach the ground on time.

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Timeline

• 2001–2002: The Supreme Court orders the creation of a compensatory afforestation fund and an authority to manage it.
• 2004: The Ministry of Environment and Forests constitutes CAMPA as an ad-hoc body, following the Court’s directions.
• 2009: The Supreme Court further formalises the ad-hoc CAMPA as a National Advisory Council, still without a dedicated statute.
• 3 August 2016: The Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAF) Act, 2016 receives presidential assent, finally giving CAMPA a statutory legal basis.
• 30 September 2018: The CAF Act and its Rules come into force. National CAMPA formally replaces the ad-hoc body.
• 2019–2022: A CAG audit finds CAMPA funds in Uttarakhand diverted to non-afforestation purchases, prompting Supreme Court scrutiny.
• 2024–2025: Over Rs 10,380 crore in collected compensatory afforestation funds remains undistributed to states, per government figures.

Must Know

• CAMPA (Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority) manages funds collected whenever forest land is diverted for non-forest use, such as mining or infrastructure.
• It began in 2004 as an ad-hoc body, created under Supreme Court orders, with no statute of its own.
• The Compensatory Afforestation Fund Act, 2016 finally gave CAMPA a statutory legal basis, ending 15 years of ad-hoc status.
• The Act and its Rules came into force on 30 September 2018. This created National CAMPA at the Centre, and State CAMPA bodies in each state and Union Territory.
• Funds are organised in a two-tier structure. A National Fund sits under the Public Account of India, and separate State Funds sit under each state’s own Public Account.

Good to Know

• A CAG audit of Uttarakhand’s CAMPA funds (2019–2022) found Rs 13.86 crore diverted to non-afforestation purchases, including iPhones, laptops, and refrigerators.
• The Supreme Court sought responses from Uttarakhand officials over this alleged misuse, underlining continued judicial oversight of CAMPA even after the 2016 Act.
• A separate CAG report on Madhya Pradesh found over Rs 167 crore misallocated to ineligible activities, including agroforestry schemes and infrastructure projects.
• Unspent CAMPA funds released to states in a given financial year typically lapse at year-end, denying states the full benefit of their allocation.
• As of 2024–25, over Rs 10,380 crore collected for compensatory afforestation had still not been distributed from the Centre to states and Union Territories.

Test Yourself

Please wait…

1. What is CAMPA’s core purpose?

Managing funds for afforestation when forest land is diverted for non-forest use

Regulating vehicle emissions in Indian cities

Issuing environmental clearances for new industries

Managing India’s national parks and wildlife sanctuaries

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Great to Know

• CAMPA’s own compliance record has been mixed. Some audits found afforestation delayed by over 8 years in dozens of cases, with planted-tree survival rates well below official targets.
• CAMPA’s story is really two separate problems layered together. Getting a proper legal foundation took 15 years. Even after that, spending the money it collects on time remains a persistent struggle.