Former MLC A K Subbaiah has called upon the people to fight unitedly against the report of the Central Empowered Committee (CEC) constituted by the Supreme Court, which has recommended acquisition of forest grown on private land.
Speaking to press persons, he said the people of Kodagu had grown coffee and forest in their private lands. The coffee plants were not grown in reserve forest.
Fight unitedly
He said: “The private lands may be coffee estates. The people of the district should unitedly fight against the CEC report, which has recommended acquiring private lands.”
“The Supreme Court had directed the CEC to look into the issue of Kadamakalla road. It had to raise the issue of forest in private land along with the road. Pseudo environmentalists were responsible for such a report of the CEC,” he said.
“The CEC report cannot be justified. It is an unilateral decision and is against the interest of the people of Kodagu. The committee has taken into account the statements of pseudo-environmentalists and not local residents.
Opinion
Even I had given my opinion before the committee. However, my opinion did not find a place in the report,” he added.
Coffee growers and the public should file a writ petition against the report in the Supreme Court and argue in favour of rejection of the report and state that there is no deemed forest in Kodagu, he suggested.
‘Need road’
Subbaiah said: “We need Kadamakalla road. The road will provide connectivity to the people of the region to the outside world. The government should provide basic facilities including road, water and electricity to the citizens. Why is there opposition when the government has decided to lay a road?” he asked.
“Elected representatives should respond to the needs of the people. Accordingly, Speaker K G Bopaiah, MLA M P Appacchu Ranjan and former MLA S G Medappa have rendered their duty, by supporting the cause of Kadamakalla road. There was nothing wrong in their action,” he added.
source: http://www.DeccanHerald.com / Home> District / DHNS / Madikeri, March 04th, 2012
