Links



As per the draft Kerala Biological Diversity Rules the constitution of BMCs would be as follows:

(1) Every local body shall constitute a Biodiversity Management Committee within its area of jurisdiction. Accordingly, Biodiversity Management Committees are to be constituted at all Panchayats, Municipalities and Corporations.
(2) The Biodiversity Management Committees constituted under Sub Rule (1) shall consist of a Chairperson and not more than six members nominated by the local body, of whom, not less than one third shall be women and not less than 18% should belong to Scheduled castes/ Scheduled tribes. The six persons being so nominated shall include herbalists, agriculturists, Non-Timber Forest Produces collectors/traders, fisher folk, representatives of user associations, community workers, academicians and any person/ representative of organization, on whom the local body trusts that he can significantly contribute to the mandate of the Biodiversity Management Committee. The proportion of members belonging to the Scheduled Caste and Scheduled Tribe shall not be less than Scheduled Caste / Scheduled Tribe percentage of the district, where such a committee is set up. All the above should be residents with in the said local body limits and be in the voters list.
(3) The local body shall nominate six special invitees from forest, agriculture, animal husbandry, livestock, health, fisheries and education departments.
(4) The Chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee shall be Chairperson of the local body and the Secretary of the local body shall be the member Secretary of the Biodiversity Management Committee, who will maintain all the records. The Chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee shall have the casting vote in case of a tie.
(5) The Chairperson of the Biodiversity Management Committee shall have a tenure of three years.
(6) The local Member of the Legislative Assembly and Member of Parliament would be special invitees to the meetings of the Biodiversity Management Committees at different levels.
(7) A technical support group comprising of experts in the field of biodiversity drawn from government agencies, Non Governmental Organizations, academic field, community and individuals shall be established by District Panchayat/District administration. The expert group shall lend support to Biodiversity Management Committees.
(8) The key mandate of the Biodiversity Management Committees will be to ensure conservation, utilization and equitable sharing of benefits from the biodiversity. The Biodiversity Management Committees shall facilitate preparation of people’s Biodiversity Registers at District, Block and Village Panchayat/ Municipality/ Municipal Corporation levels by the respective Biodiversity Management Committees using the process and the format set by the Board.