Kasturirangan Report: Senior counsel to represent Karnataka in Supreme Court, says CM D.K. Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said the Karnataka government will appoint a senior counsel to present the state’s clear position before the Supreme Court regarding the notification issued by the Centre in connection with the Kasturirangan report.

Shivakumar was responding on Tuesday in the Legislative Assembly to a question raised by Leader of the Opposition R.

Ashoka regarding the National Green Tribunal.

“According to the information available to me, the National Green Tribunal has directed the Central government to take a decision on issuing the final notification for implementing the Kasturirangan report. It has asked the Centre to bring the matter to its notice after issuing the notification. However, the tribunal has not made any reference to the states that share the Western Ghats,” he said.

He clarified that the government was not disrespecting the recommendations made by the Kasturirangan Committee regarding ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats.

Instead, the state was requesting that the recommendations be scientifically reviewed and revised while keeping Karnataka’s interests in mind.

“The issue that everything appears green if a drone survey is conducted was raised in the Assembly. Therefore, a survey will have to be conducted through the Revenue Department,” he said.