Title - CPI(M) comes out against Gadgil panel report

Deputy Leader of the Opposition Kodiyeri Balakrishnan has said that a combined effort of the public is the need of the hour to rectify some of the unscientific and impractical recommendations of the Madhav Gadgil committee on Western Ghats conservation that adversely affect the interest of the State.Speaking after inaugurating a people’s convention organised by the Wayanad Samrakshana Samithi here on Sunday, Mr. Balakrishnan alleged that the committee had drafted the recommendations without considering the fact that human beings were also part of conserving the ecology.If the Central government implemented the recommendations without rectifying it, it would adversely affect the future developmental activities of the State, including the proposals to set up new airports, hill highway, and railway lines, he said.The Western Ghats and its ecosystem should be conserved but unscientific recommendations of the report should be avoided, he said. The Assembly would discuss the issue on December 20, he said.Though the Union Ministry of Forest and Environment had appointed a commission chaired by Kasturi Rangan on August 12, 2012, to study the report, the commission was yet to visit the State, Mr. Balakrishnan said adding that the tenure of the commission would expire soon.While many of the Acts enacted by the State and Centre to protect the environment were yet to be implemented properly, in such a situation who would implement the new acts properly, he asked.

Mr. Balakrishnan urged the Centre to issue an ordinance to revoke the night traffic ban on the Karnataka part of the Kozhikode-Kollegal National Highway-212. He said a scientific approach had to be evolved to protect the life and property of villagers living on the fringes of forest from wild animal attack.

Dr. Joseph Mar Thomas, Bishop, Malankara Catholic Dioceses, Sulthan Bathery, presided over the function.