PIL challenges MLA Shivanna’s appointment as KSPCB Chairperson
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A public interest litigation has been filed in the High Court of Karnataka challenging the appointment of Anekal MLA B. Shivanna as the Chairperson of the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB).
A Division Bench comprising Justice Anu Sivaraman and Justice K.S. Bharath Kumar, before whom the petition filed by advocate Sudha Katwa came up for hearing on Thursday, ordered issuance of notice to the State government.
The petition alleges that the appointment, notified on September 25, 2026, is illegal, arbitrary, and violative of the statutory eligibility criteria and prescribed selection procedures.
It has been contended in the petition that the Chairperson should be a person with special knowledge or practical experience in environmental protection or administration, as mandated by the Water Act, 1974, and the Air Act, 1981. It contends that Mr. Shivanna’s background as a social worker and businessman does not demonstrate the required expertise.
The petitioner has argued that the appointment violates the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (Manner of Nomination and Other Terms and Conditions of Service of Chairman and Members) Rules, 2024, as the State government bypassed mandatory procedures, including constituting a selection committee, issuing public advertisements, and screening candidates as per the rules.
The petitioner has also pointed out that Mr. Shivanna’s appointment was contrary to various judicial pronouncements of the High Court as well as the Supreme Court, which had laid down clear guidelines on the requirement of special knowledge and qualifications in the field of environment, based on which the State government had framed rules for the appointment of the Chairperson and members to the KSPCB.
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