The CPI(M) has said the office memorandum issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEFs) on Tuesday “with an eye on the elections” will not solve the issues brought up by the K. Kasturirangan committee report on Western Ghats conservation.
In a statement on Wednesday, the party’s State secretariat said the issues would persist until the MoEFs withdrew the notification it had issued in November last declaring 123 villages in the State as ecologically sensitive area (ESA). An office memorandum just could not nullify it.
Such being the legal position, Chief Minister Oommen Chandy was only trying to mislead the people of the State with his contention that all problems had been solved with the issuance of the office memorandum.
Further, the Union government had given an undertaking before the Green Tribunal that it would implement the recommendations of the K. Kasturirangan report, the CPI(M) said.
“The CPI(M) has taken the position that the problems of the people of the hill districts of the State could not be solved without the withdrawal of the notification issued in November 13,” the party said.
Quick fix, says CPI
In another statement, the CPI accused the Chief Minister of indulging in “political trickery” by telling the people of the State that it had solved all the problems. The CPI termed the office memorandum a “quick fix” concoction to help the Congress in the Lok Sabha elections.
