Lok Sabha Debates
Regarding Implications Of Kasturirangan Committee Report. on 2 February, 2022
Seventeenth Loksabha an> Title: Regarding implications of Kasturirangan Committee Report.
SHRI M.K. RAGHAVAN (KOZHIKODE): Kasturirangan Committee was constituted by Government of India to study about the the corrections needed in WGEEP report on the western ghats. In line with its recommendations government has asked State Government to categorise land into eco sensitive areas and provide geo-cordinated maps of those ESA areas. The 4 time released ESA draft notification of Union Government under Kasturirangan Committee report has wide ramifications for large number of people. The thickly populated areas included in all the 9 ESA villages in my constituency mostly consist of small and marginal farmers. Lakhs of people from 9 villages of my constituency in Kerala will be adversely affected if this report is implemented as such. ESA notification should be done only after wide consultation at Panchayat level and taking into consideration the views of various stakeholders. The government should urgently form a joint committee of Central and State representatives to further fine tune the ESA maps by taking into confidence stakeholders and only then should come up with final list of ESA villages. Hence, the Government is again requested to take into consideration the demand of the people and constitute a committee to study people's grievances before final notification.