8Constitution of National Authority

(1) With effect from such date as the Central Government may, by notification in the Official Gazette, appoint in this behalf, there shall be constituted a National Authority to be called the "National Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority".

(2) The National Authority shall manage and utilise the National Fund for the purposes of this Act.

(3) The National Authority shall consist of a governing body and shall be assisted by an executive committee, monitoring group and administrative support mechanism.

(4) The governing body of the National Authority shall consist of the following, namely:—

(i) Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India— Chairperson, ex officio;

(ii) Secretaries of Ministries dealing with Environment, Forest, Climate Change, Finance (Expenditure), Rural Development, Land Resources, Agriculture, Panchayati Raj, Tribal Development, Science, Technology, Space and Earth Sciences and Chief Executive Officer, National Institution for Transforming India Ayog, Government of India—Members, ex officio;

(iii) Director General of Forests and Special Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India—Member, ex officio;

(iv) Additional Director General of Forests (Forest Conservation), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India—Member, ex officio;

(v) Additional Director General of Forests (Wildlife), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India—Member, ex officio;

(vi) Mission Director, National Mission for a Green India, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India—Member, ex officio;

(vii) Financial Adviser, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India—Member, ex officio;

(viii) five Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, not more than one from each of the ten regions, to be nominated by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India on rotation basis for a period of two years, at a time—Members, ex officio;

(ix) Inspector General of Forests (Forest Conservation), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India—Member, ex officio;

(x) five experts, one each from environmentalists, conservationists, scientists, economists, and social scientists appointed by the Central Government for a period of two years subject to not more than two consecutive terms—Members.

(5) The Central Government may appoint an officer of the rank of an Additional Director General of Forests as the Chief Executive Officer of the National Authority who shall be the Member— Secretary of the governing body and the executive committee of the National Authority.