Kasturirangan report will be BJP poll issue, says leader

‘The recommendations will be withdrawn if NDA comes to power at centre’

The Kodagu district BJP unit will use Kasturirangan report on recommendations on conservation of Western Ghats as an election issue in the coming Lok Sabha polls.

The report will be withdrawn if the NDA-led government comes to power at the Centre, said BJP spokesperson Addanda Cariappa. 

Speaking to  mediapersons here on Wednesday, he said the Congress-led state government has failed to prevent the implementation of the recommendations. Even Christian Missionaries too had raised their voice against the report in Kerala.

The Christian priest had even submitted petitions to Sonia Gandhi against the implementation of recommendations.

The Kerala government was successful in convincing the Centre to provide  exemption to populated zones from the Eco Sensitive Zones (ESZs) demarcated by the Kasturirangan committee on conservation of the Western Ghats. Why the Congress -led State government had not initiated any action? he asked. 

Cariappa said that fifty five villages in Kodagu district will be included in eco senstive zones. If the recommendations were implemented then the life of villagers will be in jeopardy. The State government has not submitted report to the Centre on opposing the recommendations. 

The cabinet sub committee constituted to make a study on the recommendations have not visited the villagers which will be affected with the implementation of the report. 

He said “Congress MP H Vishwanath had promised to take a delegation to Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. We have been disappointed by going by his words. Now, the Centre has already issued a draft notification and is getting ready to issue final notification on the implementation of the recommendations.” 

Cariappa said “Raitha Sangha President K S Puttannaiah who has been opposing the laying of high-tension wire in Kodagu was quiet when the wire was laid in his district.” 

He said “there was anti-Vishwanath wave in Kodagu district. As a MP he has not taken up development work. He has failed in getting funds to the district. He has also failed in checking the implementation of Kasturirangan report.”