Udupi: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Friday began his visit to villages in the Western Ghats to hear first-hand the concerns of people over the Kasturirangan report, starting with an interaction at Hebri in Udupi district.
Interacting with the people, Shivakumar assured that the government would examine the demand for a physical survey of areas covered by the Kasturirangan report before taking a decision, as residents and local organisations pressed for the Kerala model to be followed in Karnataka.
During the interaction, representatives of various organisations and elected representatives sought a physical survey, arguing that a satellite-based survey had failed to reflect the ground situation.
“You have brought the problems you are facing because of the Kasturirangan report and the eco-sensitive zones to my notice. We have to send our decision to the Centre by September 27. We have come here so that your opinion becomes our opinion,” he said.
Shivakumar said their views would be taken into account before the state sends its decision on the issue to the Centre.
The Chief Minister said representatives had suggested the Kerala model and sought the appointment of an expert committee to conduct a physical survey. “We have accepted your suggestions. We will discuss these issues in the Assembly session,” he said.
The government has convened a three-day special session, during which issues concerning farmers, drought and the Kasturirangan report will be discussed.
“The Kasturirangan report would be taken up on the first day of the session on Monday. I will also visit Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru regions to hear the views of people there before finalizing the stand,” he assured.
On the Forest Rights Act, Shivakumar said the government would consider bringing uniformity in the period prescribed for claiming forest rights. He said the law currently prescribed 25 years for some categories and 75 years for others.
“A decision will be taken in the coming days to prescribe a uniform 25-year limit and it will be sent to the Centre,” he said.
Shivakumar also said he had instructed Forest Department officials not to trouble people living in forest areas.
Senior advocate TB Shetty, Malekudiya community State president Sridhar Gowda, Udupi Raitha Sangha leader Uday Kumar Vandse, former gram panchayat presidents Naveen Adyanthaya and Dinesh Hegde, industrialist Muniyalu Uday Kumar Shetty, MP Kota Srinivas Poojary and MLA Sunil Kumar were among those who spoke.
The representatives said the Kasturirangan report covers around 13,000 sq km in Kerala and nearly 20,000 sq km in Karnataka. They said Kerala had subsequently conducted a physical survey through a high-level committee, separating inhabited areas from forests and redrawing the boundaries.
According to them, the exercise reduced the area covered by the report in Kerala to around 9,000 sq km, excluding about 3,200 sq km from its purview. They said a similar exercise in Karnataka could free around 5,000 sq km from the report.
The representatives said people had lived in the region for generations and that the satellite-based GPS survey conducted by the Kasturirangan committee had not adequately reflected the actual situation on the ground.
They also raised objections to the inclusion of populated areas and places with limited protected forest cover under the report. They said the move had created apprehension among residents that they could eventually face restrictions on their land and homes.
The representatives said local people were not against forest conservation but wanted the concerns of forest-dwelling communities to be taken into account.
They urged the government to constitute an expert committee and conduct a physical survey before sending the state’s final recommendations to the Centre. They also suggested that the findings be placed before the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal to explain the ground realities.
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