In a significant development, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has rejected the Haryana government’s proposal to appoint Indian Revenue Service (IRS) officer Devinder Singh Kalyan as Chairman of the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Haryana.
The SEIAA, a key body under the MoEFCC, is responsible for granting environmental clearances to projects in sectors such as mining, infrastructure, industry, and construction.
Kalyan, currently serving as Chief Commissioner, Income Tax (OSD), Chandigarh, had earlier been deputed to the Haryana government in senior roles, including Principal Secretary, Excise and Taxation, a post typically reserved for IAS officers. He is due to retire on May 31. Notably, he is also the brother of BJP MLA and Haryana Assembly Speaker Harvinder Kalyan.
However, the Centre rejected his nomination citing non-fulfilment of eligibility criteria under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. In a communication dated May 14, Scientist-E Dr. JD Marcus Knight from MoEFCC stated that Kalyan “does not meet the eligibility requirements” outlined in Appendix VI of the EIA Notification for the post of SEIAA Chairman.
The ministry has now asked the Haryana government to submit a fresh proposal for reconstituting the SEIAA and the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC), including a replacement for Kalyan’s name.
Retired IAS officers have historically held the chairman’s post in SEIAA Haryana. The position has remained vacant for the past few months, and several former IAS officers were reportedly under consideration for the role.
While officials remained tight-lipped about the rejection, sources indicate the ineligibility clause in the EIA norms was the primary reason behind the decision.
