Congress govt to reject Kasturirangan report recommendations on preserving Western Ghats

BENGALURU: The Congress government in Karnataka has decided to reject the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report on preserving the diversity of the Western Ghats in toto, giving in to the agitation and demands from the region.

The state cabinet on Wednesday decided to write to the Centre, pointing out that all the gram panchayats in the region had advised the state to oppose the recommendations as it would halt all developmental activity in the region. The Kasturirangan report has recommended that 20,608 square kilometres across 10 districts covering 1,576 villages should be declared as reserved forest area.

Law minister T B Jayachandra said: "The region already has been declared an ecologically-fragile zone and portions are being preserved as reserve forest areas. The very livelihood of people living in the region is at stake, so we are rejecting the report."

The matter had come up in the recently concluded session of the state legislature and MLAs from the region, which is a stronghold of the BJP, had appealed to the CM to protect the interests of the local people. BJP MLA from Sringeri D N Jeevraj had said: "Please be the state's CM, not a Congress CM."

Committee on Bababudangiri: A cabinet sub-committee has been set up under Jayachandra, with home minister G Parameshwara, textiles minister Rudrappa Lamani, urban development minister Roshan Baig and primary education minister Tanveer Sait as members to submit a report to the Supreme Court on the state's stand over the administration and rival claims at the Bababudangiri-Datta Peeta shrine in Chikmagalur. The report is to be submitted within May 9.