Bengaluru: Chief Minister D K Shivakumar, on Tuesday, said the Karnataka government would appoint a senior counsel to present the State’s position before the Supreme Court in connection with the notification issued by the Central Government on the Kasturirangan report.
Shivakumar was responding to a question raised by Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka in the Legislative Assembly regarding the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
“According to the information available to me, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Central Government to take a decision on issuing the final notification for implementing the Kasturirangan report. It has also asked the Centre to bring the notification to its notice after it is issued. However, the Tribunal has not made any specific reference to the States sharing the Western Ghats,” he said.
The Chief Minister clarified that Karnataka was not disregarding the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee on identifying ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats.
“We are not rejecting the recommendations of the Kasturirangan Committee. Instead, we are requesting that they be scientifically reviewed and revised keeping the interests of Karnataka in mind,” Shivakumar said.
He also said the issue of the methodology used for surveying the areas had come up during the discussion in the House.
“There has been a discussion in the House that if a drone survey is conducted, everything would appear green. Therefore, a survey will have to be carried out through the Revenue Department,” he said.
