Responding to pleas to oppose the draft notification proposing to declare areas across the Western Ghats as ecologically sensitive areas (ESAs), Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said that he would stand by the farming community. He directed the Forest Department not to issue notices to traditional cultivators over forest encroachment.

During a public consultation on the K. Kasturirangan report at Tirthahalli on Saturday, Mr. Shivakumar said he understands the problems faced by the people in the Malnad region. He told the Forest Department not to issue fresh notices to any traditional cultivator, adding that it should not allow fresh encroachment either. “Let the Department protect forests, but the traditional cultivators should not be disturbed,” he said.

During the meeting, he also assured that his government would pass a resolution urging the Centre to reduce the 75-year requirement to 25 years for claiming land under the Forest Rights Act.

The Chief Minister said he could have taken a decision in Bengaluru on the Centre’s draft ESA notification, issued on the basis of the Kasturirangan report’s recommendations. However, he chose to meet people and take their opinions into account.

“The farmers’ representatives have offered suggestions to conduct a physical survey of the proposed area. Some have also suggested a Kerala-model survey to avoid the disadvantages of the Kasturirangan report. We will discuss all these suggestions in detail during the special session on the issue next week. The State government will take an appropriate decision to safeguard the interests of farmers in the region,” he said.

Mr. Shivakumar said the Congress had always stood by farmers. During the tenure of D. Devaraj Urs, tenant farmers were granted land, and in later years, bagair hukum cultivators also got land. “It is the Congress that brought in the Forest Rights Act to benefit farmers,” he said.

Forest, Ecology and Environment Minister Ramalinga Reddy assured the gathering that the government would seriously consider people’s opinions on the issue. He said he would hold another meeting on forest issues in Shivamogga after the special Legislative session.

Farmers and elected representatives who took part in the public meeting appealed to the State government to oppose the draft notification. A few participants suggested a physical survey to identify human habitations and cultivated areas within the proposed ESA. They urged the Chief Minister to ensure that the saga of multiple draft notifications is brought to an end.

Among those who participated in the public consultation were School Education Minister Madhu Bangarappa; B.Y. Raghavendra, Shivamogga MP; legislators Araga Jnanendra, Belur Gopalakrishna, S.N. Channabasappa, Dhananjay Sarji, and D.S. Arun; former Minister Kimmane Rathnakar; and Shivamogga DCC Bank chairperson R.M. Manjunath Gowda.