Hebri : Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said the government would discuss with officials the demand for a physical survey of areas covered under the Kasturirangan report and take a decision.
Speaking at a meeting with residents and representatives of various organisations at Hebri in Udupi district, Shivakumar said the government wanted to understand the concerns of people living in the region before sending its decision to the Centre.
“We have to send our decision to the Centre by the 27th. We have come here to hear your views and understand the problems you are facing. You have suggested an expert committee and a physical survey on the Kerala model. We will consider these suggestions and discuss the issue in the Assembly,” he said.
The government has convened a three-day special session of the Assembly to discuss issues relating to farmers, drought and the Kasturirangan report. The report will be taken up for discussion on the first day of the session, he said.
Shivakumar said he would also visit Shivamogga and Chikkamagaluru to hear the views of people there.
On the Forest Rights Act, he said the government would consider a proposal to prescribe a uniform 25-year limit.
“There is a 25-year limit for some and 75 years for others. We will take a decision to have a uniform 25-year limit and send it to the Centre,” he said.
He said forest officials had been instructed not to trouble people living in forest areas.
“Bagar Hukum cultivation and giving land to those who cultivate it are initiatives of our government,” he said.
Shivakumar said the government would not make announcements without examining whether they could be implemented.
“We do not do politics on emotions. We are concerned about your lives. The representatives here have sought a zonal management plan and a taluk hospital at Hebri. These issues will be discussed with officials and a decision will be taken. I should not make announcements before you and forget them later,” he said.
He said he would visit Udupi in the coming days and discuss the issues with elected representatives.
Referring to the special Cabinet meeting held in Mangaluru, Shivakumar said 60 decisions were taken, of which 40 related to the coastal districts.
The Cabinet had also decided to recognise Tulu as the second additional official language in Dakshina Kannada and Udupi districts and approved a new tourism policy for the coastal and Malnad regions.
Shivakumar said the government wanted to attract investment to the region and create more local opportunities.
“This is a historic region. The people here are educated and aware. The coastal region has made a major contribution to banking, education and healthcare,” he said.
Representatives seek physical survey
Representatives of various organisations and elected representatives who attended the meeting urged the government to conduct a physical survey before finalising the areas to be brought under the Kasturirangan recommendations.
Senior advocate T.B. Shetty, Malekudiya community state president Sridhar Gowda, Udupi Farmers’ Association representative Uday Kumar Vandse, former gram panchayat presidents Naveen Adyanthaya and Dinesh Hegde, industrialist Muniyalu Uday Kumar Shetty, MP Kota Srinivasa Poojary and MLA Sunil Kumar were among those who spoke.
They said the Kasturirangan report covers around 13,000 sq km in Kerala and nearly 20,000 sq km in Karnataka.
According to the representatives, Kerala conducted a physical survey through a high-level committee and separated inhabited areas from forest areas. They said this reduced the area covered under the recommendations and that a similar exercise in Karnataka could exclude around 5,000 sq km.
They also said the Kasturirangan committee had relied on satellite and GPS-based mapping and had not carried out a physical survey.
The representatives raised concerns over the inclusion of populated areas under the proposed ESA. They said the report had referred to villages with fewer than 100 people, while areas with larger populations had also been included based on GPS mapping.
They also questioned the inclusion of areas with less than 20 per cent protected forest cover.
Residents, they said, were worried that implementation of the recommendations could affect their homes and livelihoods.
The representatives urged the government to form an expert committee and conduct a physical survey. They said the findings could then be placed before the Centre and, if necessary, before the Supreme Court and the National Green Tribunal.
Before the meeting, Shivakumar told reporters that he had come to Hebri to listen to the people and understand their concerns over the Kasturirangan report.
“I have come to know the sentiments of the people, hear their views and find a solution,” he said.
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