Final notification on Western Ghats likely next year: Prakash Javadekar

NEW DELHI: The government is likely to come out with a final notification on Western Ghats during the budget session of Parliament next year.

"The proposals from states have come and are being analysed. Now we will give each state three to four days and then will hold a final discussion on what is acceptable and what is not from the present proposal.

"That will happen in January. In February, if further information is required, we will ask for that. After that in the initial stage of budget session, I will hold meeting with all MPs and will listen to their views. Then only we will notify it," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.

The Minister stated this after meeting MPs from Kerala Joice George, P K Biju, P K Sreemathi, P Karunakaran and M P Rajesh.

Javadekar while replying to a question in Parliament yesterday had said that his Ministry has issued a fresh draft notification on Western Ghats which addresses all the concerns expressed by the six states falling in the region.

"The Ministry has brought out a fresh draft notification on September 4, 2015 on Western Ghats addressing these concerns and apprehensions wherein the extent of Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and the other provisions stated in the earlier draft notification remain unchanged," he had said in a written reply.

The Ministry had issued a draft notification on March 10, 2014 for notifying an area of 56,825 sqkm as ESA in the Western Ghats covering six states with an aim of conserving the biodiversity of the region while providing adequate opportunities for livelihood security of the local people.

The six states are Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.