Karnataka Cabinet to meet in Mangaluru, focus on coastal development and Kasturirangan report
Karnataka Chief Minister D K Shivakumar on Thursday said the state Cabinet’s meeting in Mangaluru, the headquarters of Dakshina Kannada district, is aimed at giving fresh momentum to development in the coastal region.
The Cabinet meeting is scheduled for Friday.
Speaking to reporters at Mangaluru airport, Shivakumar said legislators and MPs from the coastal and Malnad regions had raised local concerns and placed their development demands before him.
“They have placed their demands before the meeting. I have them in mind and will try to fulfil as many of them as possible,” he said.
Shivakumar said the coastal and Malnad regions have a well-educated population and require greater government support to accelerate development.
On the Kasturirangan report, he said a two-day special session had been convened to discuss the recommendations as well as drought-related concerns. MLAs would be allowed to present their views on the report, while the Forest Minister would submit a separate report, he said.
Shivakumar also said he would personally meet people affected by the Kasturirangan recommendations and visit the areas concerned to understand their views.
The Kasturirangan Committee had recommended declaring 37 per cent of the Western Ghats, covering around 60,000 sq km across Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala and Tamil Nadu, as an Eco-Sensitive Area (ESA), with the objective of balancing environmental conservation and development.
Farmers in Shivamogga and other Malnad districts have sought physical surveys and the exclusion of human settlements and cultivated land from the proposed ESA boundaries. Residents have expressed concerns that implementation of the notification could affect their livelihoods. The proposed ESA in Karnataka covers 20,668 sq km across 10 districts and 1,576 villages.
Karnataka Health and Family Welfare Minister U T Khader, who is also Dakshina Kannada’s district in-charge minister, said proposals concerning tourism, healthcare, education, transport and connectivity, along with representations from the public and elected representatives, were likely to be considered at the Cabinet meeting.
Khader also appealed to groups planning protests during the Cabinet’s visit to withdraw their programmes, saying coastal Karnataka was known for its culture of harmony and hospitality.
with inputs from PTI
