THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Wednesday sought to pacify protesters in the high ranges and the Catholic Church that spearheads the agitation, assuring them that the government will submit the buffer zone report to the Supreme Court only after physical verification through a detailed field survey. He said the survey will be completed before January 11, the date when the SC considers the state’s review petition.
“The government will submit a comprehensive report only after hearing from the local people and inspecting all the constructions. People living in high ranges and farmers have no reason to worry. The government will convince the court of the difficulty in declaring populated areas as buffer zone,” he told reporters.
Attacked by the Opposition over his government’s failure to protect the high range population, Pinarayi said the government will go to any extent to save the people and farmers.
“The satellite survey is just an indicator. The government will start a detailed ground survey in the eco-sensitive zone. The opinion of residents will be considered. Even vacant plots will be included in the list,” he said. Pinarayi said people who have been excluded in the satellite survey can submit their details to the expert committee led by Justice Thottathil B Radhakrishnan. “The information gathered via the satellite survey will not be used for other revenue and forest-related activities. It will be presented in court as proof that the designated 1km buffer zone in 87 villages is a populated area,” he said.
Pinarayi said the state has already handed over a map – which excludes populated areas – to the central empowered committee. “It will be the basic map as far as the buffer zone is concerned. It has been uploaded on the government’s website. Survey numbers of lands included in it will be published within a week. If any populated areas have been included, people can inform the authorities until January 7,” he said.
“A committee will be formed to monitor the help desk and geotag constructions. The forest department will prepare the final draft report incorporating the new findings,” he said.