Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on Tuesday disagreed with the demand made by the Kerala Congress(M) and others for cancellation of the order issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests on November 13 last year for protection of the Western Ghats.
Speaking to the media after a special meeting of the Cabinet, the Chief Minister said that annulment of the order would result in reinstatement of the recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil committee on the Western Ghats.
The Ministry had issued the order after the Green Tribunal allowed it the choice of taking a course different from that recommended by the Gadgil panel. As many as six States had demanded that the Gadgil panel report should not be implemented.
Mr. Chandy said that the State had communicated its views on the Kasturirangan panel report and was awaiting its response. It had submitted detailed report of verification done in 123 villages classified as ecologically sensitive areas by the Kasturirangan committee and wanted cultivated areas to be excluded from the classification.
He said that other States had not submitted their views on the K. Kasturirangan report. However, the Ministry should not penalise Kerala for the delay on the part of other States. The State wanted protection of the plantations and other cultivated areas. Protection of environment should be done with the participation of people.
Replying to a question, the Chief Minister said that the government was examining the details of allegations about assignment of government puramboke lands on the banks of backwaters for construction of resorts.
