II. Terms of Reference of the Working Group will be as follows:

1. Review of the existing schemes/programmes of the Ministry of E and F in Environment Sector and suggest ways to improve the efficiency of delivery through administrative, programmatic and resource interventions.
2. Evaluate the sustainability concerns in the developmental planning processes in the country and suggest ways to integrate environmental concerns with it. The evaluation would include review of the existing policy/approach and take into account the weaknesses in institutional, legislative, regulatory and enforcement structure. Specifically evaluate the role of local bodies, which have the responsibility for management of local natural resources, in promoting sustainable development.
3. Examine ways of creating positive incentives for sustainable management of natural resources through payment of service charges following the Costa Rica model for payment of service charges for watershed conservation services.
4. For the imperative need for integrating environment in development planning, policy and decision-making, the Committee may focus, inter alia, on the following items:
5. Strategies for integrating environmental concerns into development planning for achieving sustainable development along with poverty alleviation.
6. Strategy for strengthening the monitoring and addressing the problems of air pollution, water pollution, noise pollution and safe disposal of hazardous waste, etc.
7. People's access to environmental information, especially in the context of the Right to Information Act.
8. People's participation with involvement of NGOs and Corporate social responsibility for a national campaign on environmental awareness and education.
9. Enhancing of usefulness of State and Central level environmental administration including Pollution Control Boards/Committees.
10. Review the efficacy of the present environmental regulatory mechanisms such as various authorities created under environmental laws and recommend ways to inculcate a culture of voluntary environmental compliance in place of clearance systems.
11. Review and recommendations for strengthening the present mechanisms for implementation of global commitments like Kyoto Protocol, Montreal Protocol, UNCCD etc.
12. Recommend the policy and programme interventions with corresponding outcomes, deliverables, physical targets, measurable indicators and financial requirements for the sector adopting the concept of zero-based budget.
13. To include any other issue, which the Working Group considers important
14. Official members of the Working Group will be paid TA/DA by their respective Departments as per the rules of entitlement applicable to them. The non-official members will be paid TA/DA by the Planning Commission as per SR 190 (a) for attending meetings of the Working Group.
15. The Working Group will submit its report to the Planning Commission by 31.10.2006.
16. Shri M. Ravindranath, Joint Adviser (E and F), Room No. 301, Yojana Bhavan (Tel No. 23096536) will be the Nodal Officer for this Working Group for all further communications.