Cabinet Sub-Committee to tour Western Ghat areas

The Cabinet Sub-Committee looking into the recommendations of the K. Kasturirangan panel on conservation of Western Ghats will tour the areas coming under the purview of the panel report from Wednesday.

Addressing presspersons here on Tuesday, Minister for Forests B. Ramanath Rai said the government had decided that 37 per cent area under the ESZ proposed by the K. Kasturirangan panel report would be brought down before submitting a report to the MoEF. The number of villages that will be affected would also go down to 800 from the earlier estimate of 1,537.

“The government will keep the interests of people before making fresh recommendations,” he added.

‘No probe into tiger relocation’

Ruling out the possibility of ordering a probe into the relocation of the tiger captured in Chikkamagaluru, which was released into Bhimgad forest in Khanapur taluk of Belagavi, Mr. Rai denied that a role was played by Rana George, son of Home Minister K.J. George, who is also a member of the State Board for Wildlife, in shifting the tiger.

The tiger was released into Bhimgad Wildlife Sanctuary, strictly abiding by wildlife norms and recommendations of the State Board for Wildlife, he said.

BJP leaders, particularly Jagadish Shettar and Pralhad Joshi, had demanded a Criminal Investigation Department probe into the tiger attack and role of Mr. Rana George.