Introduction

The Government of India had set up five Regional Offices of the Ministry of Environment and Forests vide Resolution No. 37-3/85-FP dated 07/04/1986 at Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Lucknow and Shillong with a Headquarter unit at New Delhi to monitor and evaluate ongoing forestry development projects and schemes with special emphasis on conservation of forest land and to advise the State/ Union Territory Governments in preparation of proposals involving diversion of forest land for non-forestry purposes under the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. Subsequently, through Resolution No. 17-3/88-PC dated 12/05/1988 the sixth Regional Office was set up at Chandigarh. In view of the increasing work relating to all aspects of environmental management including pollution control and environmental management of projects and activities in the country, Government has decided to establish four Regional Offices with their Headquarter at Chennai, Dehradun, Nagpur and Ranchi with a Headquarters unit as part of the Secretariat in the Ministry of Environment and Forests at New Delhi to facilitate more frequent inspections and in-depth scrutiny and appraisal of the proposals.

To achieve the outcomes related to the mandates of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) in an improved, timely and effective manner, and for this purpose to further enhance its outreach to stakeholders, undertake coordinated action and optimize the utilization of available resources, the competent authority has approved establishment of 19 Integrated Regional Offices (IROs) of the MoEF&CC. The IROs shall be established through redeployment of human and other resources available with 10 Regional Offices of ROHQ Division, 4 Regional Offices of Forest Survey of India (FSI), 3 Regional Centre of National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), 4 Regional Offices of Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and 5 Regional Offices and 3 Sub-regional Offices of Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB) in an integrated manner, and their further strengthening. Thus, each IRO shall have representation form existing Regional Office/Regional Centre of MoEF&CC, FSI, NTCA, CZA and WCCB as available with them from time to time.

Each of above 19 Integrated Regional Offices (IROs) shall work as an integrated regional unit of the MoEF&CC in achieving the outcomes related to the mandate of this Ministry. Accordingly, officers and staff of the IROs in addition to carrying out functions, duties and work already assigned to them in their respective existing regional offices/centres of MoEF&CC or its respective subordinate offices/boards/bureaus/authorities, shall undertake other actions, functions and works in the fulfilment of above responsibilities in an INTEGRATED AND COORDINATED manner as directed by Regional Officers or by the other competent authority.

The Regional Offices Headquarters in the Ministry at New Delhi is administrative and coordinating unit for all the activities in relation to the functions assigned to the Regional Offices as enumerated above under the overall control of the Secretary, Government of India in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, New Delhi.

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