Centre has failed to build consensus among States in protecting Western Ghats, says Ramanath Rai

Former Forest Minister criticizes Union government for failing to issue final notification on Western Ghats, calls for environmental protection.

The Union government by reissuing the draft notification classifying parts of the Western Ghats in six States, including Karnataka, as ecologically sensitive areas, has failed to issue the final notification with the consensus of States, said former State Forest Minister and Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee vice president B. Ramanath Rai in Mangaluru on Saturday, August 3.

Talking to reporters, Mr. Rai said following reports by panels on Western Ghats headed by ecologist Madhav Gadgil and then by K. Kasturirangan, the Central government first issued the draft notification on eco-sensitive areas in the six States in 2014. The current draft, re-issued for the sixth time, was issued on July 31, in the aftermath of natural calamity in Wayanad and Uttarakhand.

Following the draft notification, every State, including Karnataka, has submitted its objections. The Centre has failed to consider issues raised by the State governments and build consensus for the implementation of the findings of the two Western Ghats Ecology expert panels. It’s high time the Central government takes proactive steps in protecting ecology of Western Ghats, he said.

Instead of agitating on issues concerning people, the BJP has taken out a rally to Mysuru on an inconsequential issue of allotment of sites by Mysuru Urban Development Authority (MUDA) to the wife of Chief Minister Siddaramaiah. The State BJP leaders, who are mired in allegations of corruption, have no moral right to take out a rally against Mr. Siddaramaiah, he said.

Earlier, Ivan D’Sozua, MLC, told reporters that the BJP activists should have taken out rallies to the houses of BJP MPs K. Sudhakar, Basavaraj Bommai and Kota Srinivas Poojary, who are facing allegation of corruption.

The BJP was using the issues of alleged misappropriation of funds from Maharshi Valmiki Scheduled Tribes Development Corporation and the MUDA site allotment issue to destabilise the Siddaramaiah government. The Congress government will expose the BJP leaders, who are facing corruption charges, and send them behind bars, Mr. D’Souza said.