11Steering committee and executive committee of State Authority

(1) The governing body of the State Authority shall, in performance of its functions and powers under the Act, be assisted by the steering committee and the executive committee.

(2) The steering committee of a State Authority shall consist of the following, namely:—

(i) Chief Secretary—Chairperson, ex officio;

(ii) Principal Secretaries of the Departments dealing with Forests, Environment, Finance, Planning, Rural Development, Revenue, Agriculture, Tribal Development, Panchayati Raj, Science and Technology—Members, ex officio;

(iii) Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force)—Member, ex officio;

(iv) Chief Wildlife Warden—Member, ex officio;

(v) Nodal Officer, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (69 of 1980) Member, ex officio;

(vi) Head of the concerned regional office of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change—Member, ex officio;

(vii) Nodal Officer, State Forest Development Agency—Member, ex officio;

(viii) an expert on tribal matters or a representative of tribal communities to be appointed by the State Government—Member;

(ix) Chief Executive Officer, State Authority—Member-Secretary.

(3) The executive committee of a State Authority shall consist of the following, namely:—

(i) Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (Head of Forest Force) —Chairperson, ex officio;

(ii) Chief Wildlife Warden—Member, ex officio;

(iii) an officer not below the rank of a Chief Conservator of Forests dealing with forest and wildlife related schemes—Member, ex officio;

(iv) an officer not below the rank of a Chief Conservator of Forests dealing with forestry research—Member, ex officio;

(v) Nodal Officer, State Forest Development Agency—Member, ex officio;

(vi) a representative each of the Departments dealing with Environment, Finance, Planning, Rural Development, Revenue, Agriculture, Tribal Development, Panchayati Raj, Science and Technology—Members, ex officio;

(vii) Financial Controller or Financial Adviser, to be nominated by the Finance Department—Member, ex officio;

(viii) two eminent non-government organisations to be appointed by the State Government— Members;

(ix) two representatives of district level Panchayati Raj Institutions to be appointed by the State Government—Members;

(x) an expert on tribal matters or a representative of tribal community to be appointed by the State Government—Member;

(xi) Chief Executive Officer, State Authority—Member-Secretary.

(4) The State Authority may appoint the following officers for a period not exceeding five years, to assist the steering committee and executive committee in performance of its functions under the Act, namely:—

(i) Joint Chief Executive Officer of the rank not below the rank of a Conservator of Forests;

(ii) Financial Advisor and Chief Accounts Officer of the rank not below the rank of a Deputy Secretary in the State Government;

(iii) Deputy Chief Executive Officer of the rank not below the rank of a Deputy Conservator of Forests.

(5) The governing body of the State Authority may with the prior concurrence of the State Government create posts in the State Authority at the level of Assistant Conservator of Forests and other officials to assist the steering committee and executive committee in performance of its functions under the Act.