Reiterating that the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee on eco-sensitive areas (ESAs) of the Western Ghats cannot be implemented, the Karnataka state cabinet expressed its reservations about the committee’s report.
Law and parliamentary affairs minister J C Madhuswamy said the people will have to face hardships if the report is implemented. “We have informed the Centre that the state government cannot compromise on the issue. The state has expressed its reservation against the report twice in the past,” he said.
The state government cannot accept the report and evict those living in the Western Ghats region. There are several habitats. “We have decided that the government cannot evict people based on (the recommendations of) the report. The (state’s) decision will be conveyed to the union government, when the CM takes a delegation to Delhi in the next few days,” he said.
The ESA notification by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change was severely criticised by legislators representing Malnad and other coastal districts of the state, which encamp the Western Ghats.
Recently state home minister Araga Jnanendra chaired a meeting and decided to meet the Union environment minister against issuing final notification on the ESAs.