Par panel asks IIFM, environment ministry for timely annual

A parliamentary panel has asked the Indian Institute of Forest Management, Bhopal, and the environment ministry to accord "due priority" to timely laying of annual reports in both the Houses of Parliament to avoid delays.
The Committee on Papers Laid on the Table (2017-18) has also expressed "disappointment" that the ministry has "failed" to comply with the specific recommendations in laying the documents of IIFM before Parliament during 2013-14 to 2015-16.
The committee has noted that the annual reports and audited accounts for 2013-14 and 2014-15 were delayed by seven to 11 months.
"The committee urges upon the institute and the ministry to accord due priority to timely laying of these reports before both the Houses of Parliament, due care should be taken to ensure all associated activities are completed and meetings held in a time bound manner so that there is no delay in laying the annual reports and audited accounts," it noted.

The committee noted that the work relating to preparation of the reports and accounts for the year 2013-14 and 2014-15 of IIFM had been completed on time but delay occurred in laying the accounts before Parliament due to their inability to hold AGM meeting in time.
Minister of State for Environment is the president of the IIFM society and the AGM society meeting could not be held due to unavoidable reasons.
It said the documents for 2014-15 were laid in the Winter Session of 2016 with delays of 11 months while for 2015-16, despite assurance given by the ministry, the same were not laid during the Monsoon Session of 2017.

"If for any unavoidable reasons, the annual reports and audited accounts of the institute could not be laid on the table of the house within the stipulated time, a statement explaining the reasons as to why the requisite documents could not be laid within the prescribed time period should be laid strictly with 30 days as recommended by the committee in its earlier report," the committee chaired by Chandrakant Khaire said.