K’taka HC stays Govt order removing Pollution Control Board Chairman

The High Court of Karnataka has granted an interim stay on the August 31 corrigendum order of the State government ending the tenure of Shanth A Thimmaiah as the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).

The stay will remain in force till the next date of hearing of a petition filed by Thimmaiah challenging the Government order.

The Court specified that the stay does not endorse the continuation of Thimmaiah, and said he will continue as the chairperson but will not undertake any policy measure.

The Division Bench of Chief Justice Prasanna B Varale and Justice Krishna S Dixit also directed the petitioner and the State to file their written statements by the next date of hearing.

Thimmaiah was appointed chairman by an order dated November 15, 2021. The corrigendum order issued on August 31 states that his tenure ended on March 4, 2022 and the Additional Chief Secretary of the Department of Forest, Environment and Ecology was put in charge of the KSPCB till the appointment of a new chairperson.