The Forest Department's plans to reconstitute the eco-development committees (EDCs) in the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary and other protected areas is getting delayed indefinitely. As a result, many of these committees continue to function in an irregular manner, disregarding the directives of the Department.
Following detection of widespread detection of irregularities in running of the sales outlet by the committees along the forest paths to Sabarimala through the Periyar Wildlife Sanctuary last year, Forest Minister Benoy Viswam had announced plans to revamp the EDCs. Orders for that were issued in July last year. However, they were not implemented till now. As a result, irregularities continue to take place in the running of the sales outlets at Sabarimala.
People running the outlets in the name of the committees have considerable clout, and the Department officials often fail to keep a check on them. Some of the outlets had refused to sell the ‘Sabari Jalam’ manufactured by the Department for distribution to the pilgrims. Though the Chief Wildlife Warden made an appeal to the committees to cooperate with the Department in selling the packaged drinking water and collecting back the plastic bottles, the response was poor.
The order had aimed at preventing the EDCs from being operated as functional groups so as to prevent control of the committees by outsiders. They were to be rooted in specified management areas and were to play more active role in forest management, as in the case of the Vana Samrakshana Samithis. The guidelines applicable to the Samithis were to apply to the EDCs also.
The guidelines make it mandatory for the EDCs to maintain proper accounts and subject them to auditing. Periodical monitoring and evaluation were also to be part of plan. However, vested interests managed to delay the implementation of the guidelines.
