From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bangalore

Bangalore, Jun 24: Karnataka lambasted the Centre for its stand on UNESCO heritage tag for the Western Ghats, the richest bio-diversity spot in the State.

''There is no need for it to learn lessons from others on safeguarding State’s forest,” said Karnataka’s Forest Minister C H Vijayashankar.

The Minister sharply criticised the Centre for its stand on granting UNESCO tag for 10 sites in the Western Ghats, an acknowledged hotspot of biodiversity, and said: ''The Centre cannot overlook the decision taken by the State in a federal structure.”

“We will study the pros and cons of the UNESCO tag by collecting opinion of local people, elected representatives and non-governmental organizations. We will compile all opinions and submit a report to the Centre,” he told reporters here on Friday.

“The UNESCO tag is of no benefit to the State. The international organisation will not provide financial, technical and legal aid in protecting the state forest areas,” he contended.

Institutions such as Karnataka Lokayukta, Karnataka High Court, Supreme Court and laws of the land, including those of the State, were sufficient to safeguard the Western Ghats,” the Minister said.

Vijayashankar strongly criticised Union Minister of State for Forest Jairam Ramesh’s letter to Chief Minister B S Yeddyurappa on the State Government’s opposition to get UNESCO tag to the Western Ghats.

“We cannot blindly seek a tag from other agencies just to get recognition at the global level,” he said.

It may be recalled that the Union Minister had held that by opposing the tag, “the government is giving wide scope to suspect that it is yielding to the pressure from vested interests like forest encroachers, mining, timber smugglers and poachers.”

Warning that India risks “international embarrassment” due to the State’s stance, Ramesh has urged the State government to withdraw its objections and pointed out that Karnataka, along with Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Maharashtra, over which the Ghats are spread, had been actively involved through the entire process.

Vijayashankar, however, made it clear that the “the government is fully capable of protecting the Western Ghats on its own,” and claimed that forest-dwellers will suffer if the World Heritage tag prevented development work from being undertaken there.

While India started the process of getting the Western Ghats nominated in August 2005, the Karnataka has chosen to voice its opposition only in this final week before the UNESCO committee’s 10-day meeting which commenced in Paris on June 19.

Recalling the State Government’s bad experience with UNESCO tag for Hampi site in Bellary district, the Minister said all steps would be taken to prevent establishment of resorts or hotels by private parties on the periphery of forest areas.

“Areas nearby will be declared as “eco-sensitive zones to prevent encroachment by resorts,” he said, adding: ''We will act in the best interests of the State and its people. We cannot be cowed down by the Centre or any other agency.