BHOPAL: The appointment of senior IAS officer Aniruddhe Mukherjee as chairman of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (MPPCB) has come under scrutiny, with environmental activist Ajay Dubey questioning the legal basis of the appointment and seeking a review along with a Lokayukta inquiry.
The state government, however, maintains that Mukherjee’s assumption of charge was covered by an existing notification issued in November 2022, which nominates the principal secretary of the Environment Department as chairman of the board.
In a representation dated November 4, addressed to Chief Minister Mohan Yadav, Union Environment Minister and senior state and central government officials, Dubey has sought a review of the appointment and an independent examination of decisions taken during Mukherjee’s tenure.
How Aniruddhe Mukherjee Assumed Charge as MPPCB Chairman
According to Dubey, a General Administration Department order dated June 17, 2026, assigned Mukherjee, who was then serving as president of the Board of Revenue, additional charge as Additional Chief Secretary of the Environment Department.
He was also given the responsibilities of Commissioner (Environment) and Director General of the Environmental Planning and Coordination Organisation (EPCO).
However, Dubey argues that the order did not explicitly appoint Mukherjee as chairman of the MPPCB. He has questioned his assumption of the board chairmanship after taking charge of the Environment Department on July 6, contending that a separate statutory appointment order or Gazette notification was required.
Government Cites November 2022 Notification
The government has defended the arrangement by referring to an Environment Department notification dated November 14, 2022.
The notification was issued in the name of the Governor under Section 4 of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and Rule 7 of the Madhya Pradesh Pollution Control Board (Qualifications and Other Terms and Conditions of Service of the Chairman) Rules, 2019.
It nominates the principal secretary of the Environment Department as chairman of the MPPCB.
Government officials maintain that since Mukherjee was assigned additional charge of the Environment Department, his assumption of the board chairmanship was covered by this existing notification and did not require a separate appointment order.
An official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said IAS officers Navneet Kothari and Ashok Barnwal had also held the post on the same basis, without separate appointment orders from the Environment Department.
Activist Questions Applicability of 2022 Notification
Dubey disputes the government’s interpretation. He argues that the November 2022 notification ceased to be applicable following changes in the statutory framework through the 2024 amendment to the Water Act and subsequent rules notified by the Centre.
According to him, the appointment of a pollution control board chairman must follow the prescribed search-cum-selection process and be formalised through a Gazette notification.
He maintains that no such notification was issued in Mukherjee’s case.
Dubey has also claimed that a proposal seeking the Chief Minister’s approval for Mukherjee’s appointment was rejected on July 6. He has questioned the procedure followed in allowing the IAS officer to assume charge as chairman despite the alleged rejection.
Seeks Lokayukta Inquiry into Decisions During Tenure
Apart from challenging the appointment, Dubey has sought scrutiny of administrative decisions taken during Mukherjee’s tenure.
These include promotions and transfers, as well as statutory consents and permissions granted to industrial units. He has called for an independent examination of these decisions and a Lokayukta inquiry.
The government, meanwhile, maintains that Mukherjee’s assumption of charge as MPPCB chairman was valid under the November 14, 2022 notification.
The central issue in the controversy is whether the notification continued to remain applicable after the 2024 changes in the law and whether its provision naming the Environment Department’s principal secretary as chairman also extends to an officer holding additional charge of the department.
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