R B Jagadish
Daijiworld Media Network - Karkala (RJP)

Karkala, Sep 28: Former legislator Gopal Bhandary on Sunday September 27 released the copy of the report which was sent to the central government by the state on the implementation of Kasturirangan report, and accused the central government and the BJP of telling lies and misleading the people.

"The people of Malnad are worried about the implementation of Kasturirangan report. Keeping the welfare of people in mind, the state cabinet sub-committee has submitted a report to the union ministry of environment and forests three times. But the union government, without considering the report, has sent the draft directive for the implementation of the Kasturirangan report and has done injustice to the people. But the BJP and its leaders have been systematically spreading false news that the state government has not sent any report to the union government. No one can hide the truth for long. Though the report has already been submitted thrice, the state government is ready to submit it again if needed," said Gopal Bhandary, coming down heavily on the central government and the BJP.

Bhandary was speaking to reporters in a press meet held at Sheela Subhodh Ballal Buntara Bhavana in Hebri.

"The union government had asked for the report from the state. The state government which did not want any injustice done to the people, constituted a sub-committee with the forest minister as the chairperson. The subcommittee did a research in district as well as at the state-level and took opinion of the members of parliament, legislators, political leaders, institutions, media, villagers, self -help groups in the particular region where the Kasturirangan report was to be implemented. The sub-committee cut down the specified 10-kilometer eco sensitive limit and fixed the forest limit itself as the border in Kasturirangan report and prepared a people-friendly report and submitted on May 5 in 2014 and April 24 this year. Then a final report was submitted on September 2. We have taken the acknowledgement as well for the submission. But the central government has done grave injustice by sending the directive on September 4 by showing disregard to the state report and thereby has cheated the people of the state," said Gopal Bhandary.

"State forest and ecology department additional chief secretary Madan Gopal also sent a separate report to the union ministry," Bhandary added.

“Karnataka and Kerala government where Congress is ruling have submitted their reports. Gujarat, Goa, Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu governments have not submitted their reports at all. The central government has not bothered to even ask them the reports. Kerala government which appreciated the Karnataka report has borrowed points from it and presented a report based on it again. The union government has the right either to take or reject the report from the state, but without doing either, it is telling lies to create bad impression on the state government," Bhandary alleged.

"If the centre has any regard for the people, it has 39 days to act before the final directive is sent. Let it consider the state report and drive away the fear and anxiety from the people of Malnad. Let them not resort to cheap publicity and do injustice to the poor and innocent. People can understand everything," Bhandary added.

Training guns on Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, he said, "The local MP had said that she would make sure Kasturirangan report would not be implemented if she won. But now she says we have not submitted the report. A member of parliament gets to know everything about the developments with regard to Kasturirangan report. We will submit the report again. The MP is a liar and she has failed to do deliver justice to people."

Zilla panchayat member Mudradi Manjunath Poojary, Hebri block Congress president Neere Krishna Shetty, leader Praveen Ballal, Congress booth committee president H Janardhan were present in the press meet.