Chikkamagaluru: Congress leaders have intensified their protest against the Union govt’s fresh notification declaring 1,576 villages in 40 taluks of 10 districts as eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) under the Kasturirangan report.The party workers and leaders staged a massive demonstration at Narasimharajapura in Chikkamagaluru district on Saturday and targeted the BJP-led govt at the Centre.“The Kasturirangan report cannot be implemented in the state as it is. The state cabinet in 2017 and again in 2024 passed resolutions and sent them to Union govt stating that the report has to be rectified,” Congress leader Ramesh Hegde said. Despite that, Union govt has again issued the notification, he alleged.He said 1,576 villages in 10 districts are being brought under ESZ, including 93 villages in three taluks of Sringeri assembly constituency alone. Former Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar had on Sept 19, 2019 filed an affidavit before Supreme Court green bench stating that the report would be implemented, and BJP leaders should now give a clear answer, he said.Chikkamagaluru district Congress Committee president KP Anshumanth alleged that MP Kota Srinivas Poojary had failed to raise in Parliament the hardships Malnad people would face due to ESZ. He claimed that at a meeting of MPs from the Western Ghats, on Aug 10-11, 2016, 10 BJP MPs, including then Udupi-Chikkamagaluru MP Shobha Karandlaje, had recommended implementation of the report, ‘betraying the people of this region.’
