BENGALURU: Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday directed officials of the forest, environment and ecology department to speed up the process of clearing project proposals, including Sharavathi Pumped Storage, Kalasa Banduri and Peripheral Ring Road.
Stating that the department takes a lot of time in clearing proposals, he said they should be cleared without any delay if all norms are met.
On the Sharavathi project, the officials said the National Board for Wildlife has sought some clarifications from the National Institute of Advanced Studies and other technical committees. The file is now before the Union government.
Sources that participated in a closed door meeting said the CM was keen on holding a meeting with the Union government in this regard.
Issues such as the coastal regulation zone and clearances for undertaking tourism projects along the 320km coastline of the state were also discussed. The CM directed the officials to submit reports on the status of various proposals awaiting clearances at the earliest for a review.
Referring to the man-animal conflict, Shivakumar directed the officials to ensure that it is tackled. He suggested to the officials to get CSR funds to clear lantana and other weeds from forests to improve the wildlife habitat. The CM assured the officials that funds will be made available to address the issue of man-animal conflict. He asked them to use drones to keep a watch on animals.
He said Rs 63.06 crore was released in 2025-26 as compensation for crop loss and deaths caused by wild animals.
