Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy met Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah in Bangalore on Thursday to discuss about allowing vehicular traffic from 9 pm to 6 am through National Highway 212 passing through Bandipura tiger reserve which falls on the eco sensitive western ghats.
After the meeting, Chandy said, “Kerala and Karnataka have decided to approach the Supreme Court again to solve the night travel issue on the Wayanad-Mysore route. A deal has been taken to find four parallel routes. A high level panel will be formed under a team led by public works secretaries of both States to conduct a feasible study on these routes”.
Bandipura National Park which has one of the highest tiger density has been the victim of negligent night traffic which killed many wild animals. The matter is now in the SC and for Chandy it has become a political issue.
Chandy so far visited four times to Karnataka to discuss the night traffic issue passing through Bandipura, which was previously rejected by the Karnataka Government in the interest of wildlife and forests.
Based on the High Court’s orders, the Karnataka Government has already released `48 crore for the upgradation of the alternative road passing via Hunsur-Gonikoppa-Kutta-Kartikulam, which is only 30 km longer and to be used only during the night time.
Wildlife activists all over the State have expressed reservations against such a move and allege that the state transport lobbies and sand mafia have misled the politicians.
Madani issue
Chief Minister Oommen Chandy said the Government will not interfere in the bail issue of PDP leader Abdul Nasar Madani, arrested and jailed in the Bangalore blast case. “The Government took the stand as it is not correct to intervene in an issue of other State,” he added.
Even though it was officially denied, a source confirmed to The Pioneer that the Kerala Chief Minister also discussed the issue of PDP chief and Bangalore blast accused Abdul Nasar Madani who is languishing in high security prison in Bangalore.