THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Stern action will be taken against government officials who overstep their mandate in the Western Ghat regions in connection with the Kasturirangan Report issue, Forest Minister Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan told the Assembly on Monday.
Responding to a Calling Attention Motion moved by E S Bijimol, he said that lapses had occurred on the part of officials.
“How that has happened, we don’t know. The government has taken corrective measures,” he said.
The State Government is committed to ensuring that life went on smoothly in the Western Ghats region and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has been apprised of the state’s stand on the conservation issue, he said. Bijimol alleged that the draft notification was vague and that the registration offices had turned into corruption centres. She demanded that the government should step into stop the “Official Raj”.
The general public is also confused over the preparation of the cadastral maps, she said, adding that the Ghats could be protected only by taking the people into confidence.
“There is an unofficial ban on construction in the region. Land value is now zero in Idukki,” she said.