Thiruvananthapuram: The Opposition staged a walkout from the Assembly on Tuesday alleging that the state government was not initiating any steps to address the concerns of the people in High Ranges over the Kasturirangan committee report. Thirteen LDF MLAs from the affected areas staged a sit-in in front of the House over the issue.
Chief minister Oommen Chandy told the House that there was no reason for concern as an office memorandum issued by the centre on December 20 provided for physical verification of all the panchayats that would be affected by the Kasturirangan report and nullified all previous orders on the matter.
Speaker G. Karthikeyan denied permission for an adjournment motion on the matter moved by K.K. Jayachandran MLA. Jayachandran said that many High Range farmers were shifting their location following the uncertainties over their future.
Indirectly favouring the Gadgil committee report, Opposition leader V.S. Achuthanandan alleged that the government hastily implemented the Kasturirangan report overlooking the Gadgil committee report as the latter contained more stringent measures against quarry and forest mafias.
The chief minister expressed the government’s willingness for a discussion in the House on the matter later.
He said that the government will receive the reports of the panchayat presidents-led committees appointed in the 123 panchayats to carry out physical verification and examine the ground realities.
Further steps for classification will be initiated only on the basis of this report, the chief minister said.
