Kasturirangan report is unrealistic, says activist

Activist Kalkuli Vittala Hegde has said that the implementation of recommendations of the Kasturirangan report is conspired at destroying habitations in Malnad. The unrealistic points from the recommendations should be argued strongly in the Supreme Court, he added.

Speaking to reporters, he said that the Supreme Court high power committee had directed the Centre to implement recommendations of the Kasturirangan report within six months.

Following an appeal by a Goa based NGO that the failure of the government in implementing Madhav Gadgil recommendations led to the devastation in Kodagu, the high power committee had passed an order. The recommendations of Kasturirangan report are now hanging like the Sword of Damocles over the residents of Malnad, he felt.

He said the recommendations have put forth a few restrictions for farmers in Malnad. It has prohibited the use of chemical fertilisers and insecticides. Coffee and arecanut are prime horticultural crops in Malnad. To save arecanut from getting affected with fruit rot disease, Bordeaux mixtures is sprayed. The committee has not recommended the use of alternatives to chemical fertilisers, he charged.

The coffee pulping units are categorised in the red industry list. The report is unrealistic, he alleged.

As many as 27 villages each in Chikkamagaluru and Mudigere taluks, 35 in N R Pura, 32 in Koppa and 26 in Sringeri taluks are covered for the implementation of Kasturirangan report. The report has been prepared without carrying out an in-depth study on these villages, he added.

He urged the state and Central government to receive grievances from the people and put forth a strong argument before the Supreme Court.