‘Tribal people won’t be forced out of forests’

Ramanath Rai says the rehabilitation package is fine

There are no shortfalls in the rehabilitation package offered by the government to tribal communities living in the Kudremukh National Park, according to State Minister for Forest, Environment and Ecology, B. Ramanath Rai.

Mr. Rai told presspersons on the sidelines of an interaction programme at Kanara Chamber of Commerce and Industry (KCCI) on Saturday evening that intimidation of environmental activist member Ramachandra Bhat had not come to his notice.

When asked about the steps to be taken by the Forest Department, he said, “the rehabilitation package is fine. We are not going to force out those still living in the forest areas”. He said the issue of Maoism in the district – of which he is the district in-charge minister – was entirely left to the Home Department.

BJP slams State, Centre

The district unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party has said that Saturday’s naxal attack exposed the failure of the State and Central Governments to crackdown the Maoists.

K. Prathap Simha Nayak, president of the district unit, said the attack on the house of Mr. Ramachandra Bhat, an environmental activist, in Belthangady taluk had shocked the local people. Lack of will on the part of State and Central governments to curb anti-national and anti-constitutional activities of Maoists would lead to a situation where they would run a parallel government, he said.

Even though the activities of Maoists are on the rise day-by-day in the Western Ghats, the State government has not woken out of its slumber, Mr. Nayak said and also demanded adequate protection to Mr. Bhat.