Church opposes Kasturiranjan report

With the Church against the Kusturiranjan report, it might be difficult to implement the laws to save the Western Ghats..

Church opposes Kasturiranjan report
Kochi,Nov 19 2013

Kasturirangan report has rallied the Catholic churches in Kerala to opposite it. The agitation in the hill ranges is continuing with church priests leading it.

The Church and the agitators say that the 123 villages declared eco-sensitive areas will be uprooted from their homes and in future there will be no construction. They are demanding the Kasturirangan report to exempt these villages from the green cover.

The Union Minister for Environment has issued a public statement that nobody will be uprooted or farming activity will be stopped. The report bans construction of buildings more than 20,000 sqft, mining and quarrying to be stopped and new townships to be confined in 95 acres. Any activity related to development will need Green Tribunal nod. Union ministry has said that 60 days will be given to hear the public before making it a law.

Police investigation shows that workers in quarries operating illegally were behind the arson in these areas. The visuals show that local Congress leaders were in league to do a selective attack on Government offices.

Files that contain details of sandalwood and other trees felling by smugglers were burnt. The State leadership is against the agitation to dump Kasturirangan report; district level leadership is with the agitators.

CPM’s ex-CM and opposition leader VS is for implementation of Gadgil report which has around 200 villages in Kerala coming under the cover. CPM party in a letter to CM Chandy asked it to implement Kasturirangan report after talks with stakeholders and did not ask for it to be dumped.