The Karnataka Cabinet met here on Monday and decided to urge the Union Government to exclude 730 villages from the purview of the Kasturirangan report, which had put 1,580 villages in the state under the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
Taking into consideration the livelihood of locals, the Cabinet also decided to seek relaxation on sand and soil extraction and drinking water as well as mini hydel power projects in the Western Ghats region.
Law and Parliamentary Affairs Minister T B Jayachandra told reporters that the Cabinet was informed about the recommendations of the Cabinet sub-committee, which was formed to study the Kasturirangan report.
The Cabinet has decided to bring down the number of villages to 850 from the recommended 1,580, he said, adding it was also decided to bring down the total area under the ESZ ambit. Stating that the Kasturirangan panel had made 36 recommendations on the Western Ghats region based on the Madhav Gadgil committee report, he said the Cabinet has decided to seek relaxations on many issues.