THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Taking a U-turn, the state government on Monday said it will not cancel the 2019 order demarcating a one-km area surrounding the protected forests as buffer zone. However, Forest Minister AK Saseendran asserted that the government stood by its decision to exclude residential and agricultural areas as well as government, semi-government and public institutions from the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ).
Saseendran had said during the last session that the cabinet would try to cancel the order. His change in stance triggered heated debate, with the Opposition demanding that the 2019 cabinet decision and government order be revoked.
The minister told the assembly on Monday that as per the 2019 cabinet decision, 0-1 km surrounding the protected forest areas was demarcated as buffer zone, but the cabinet committee of 2020 made a provision to exclude ‘populated areas’. This committee’s decision was approved by the cabinet in 2020 and this has been communicated to the Centre, the Supreme Court and the Central Empowered Committe. Therefore, there is no need to withdraw the 2019 order, he said.
Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan said the government’s new stand is strange and ambiguous. “According to the minister, the order issued after the 2019 cabinet meeting was altered in the 2020 minister-level meeting. How can a ministerial meeting change a government order issued after a cabinet meeting? If this is the case, the cabinet should not meet,” he said. The new Central notification was issued after considering the 2019 government order. The state government should not back off from the efforts to cancel the order, or else the government will face backlash from Supreme Court, he said.
To this, Law Minister P Rajeeve said the 2019 cabinet decision has nothing to do with the Supreme Court ruling. “In 2019, the buffer zone was specified as ‘0 to 1 km’. Following this, the cabinet committee decided to ‘avoid densely populated areas’. In all notifications submitted to the Union government after that, it is stated that ‘populated areas have been excluded’,” Rajeeve said.
He pointed out that the cabinet has taken a decision to accept all these notifications. “The final decision of the cabinet and the circumstances that led to it are specified in the 2019 order. This order is valid and final.” The minister also clarified that the government is going ahead with the order after taking legal advice.
GOVT FOR PHYSICAL INSPECTION OF BUFFER ZONE
T’Puram: Physical inspection will be conducted to verify details collected through satellite surveys on buffer zones around forests. A high-level meeting chaired by Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan decided to conduct the physical inspection to collect exact data on buildings, construction activities and land utilisation. Information collected through the satellite survey will be verified through the inspection. An expert committee will be formed to submit an interim report in the supreme Court in one month and final report in three months. The state has completed the satellite survey.