The Hindu Business Line : Union Ministry to hold meet on Sabarimala development

Implementation of the Sabarimala Development projects is likely to be delayed even as only six months are left for the beginning of the next pilgrim season.

The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is expected to hold a meeting soon with the Kerala Forest Department, Travancore Devaswom Board (TDB) and Ecosmart officials to discuss the issues relating to the transfer of forestland and implementation of the projects.

The TDB President, Mr G. Raman Nair, told Business Line that the meeting has been convened by the MoEF in view of the hurdles put up by the Kerala Forest Department. He said that the State Government has already handed over 305 acres of revenue land for compensatory afforestation to the Forest Department in lieu of the land given to the TDB at Nilakkal and at Marakkoottam on the trekking path from Pampa to Sabarimala inside the Periyar Tiger Reserve (PTR).

But now the Forest Department has come out saying that the land given to it at Kambakkallu is not acceptable to it. It is demanding that the land be made available inside the PTR. Probably it might be angling for a private estate inside the PTR, which was sought earlier and was turned down by the TDB and the government. Instead, the government handed over the revenue land at Kambakkallu to the forest department, he said.

The Chief Minister, Mr Oommen Chandy, during this last post-Cabinet briefing made clear "the government's intention is to keep the Kambkallu land apart for compensatory afforestation wherever forest land is diverted for Sabarimala development. Considering the annual increase in the number of devotees, we would require more forest land for the comprehensive development of Sabarimala," Mr Nair said.

The Devaswom Board had already paid around Rs 7 crore towards the cost of the land, he added.

The MoEF has permitted execution of the development projects in the allotted forest area subject to the condition that the constructions should be in accordance with a master plan prepared by a consultant approved by the government.

The Ecosmart has already been selected as the approved consultants for Sabarimala development projects, Mr Nair said. Besides, no more additional forestland had been demanded by the TDB. Now the issue has to be settled by the departments of Revenue and Forest as per the conditions.

The MoEF is understood to have warned the State Government that the violation of the conditions could result in the "cancellation of clearances accorded earlier for diverting forestland". The National Wild Life Board, Mr Nair said, has accepted the Board's request for 12.67 hectares of land in view of the future needs of the TDB for development of Sabarimala.

He said that Kerala High Court would hear the issue on May 25 and developmental activities could be taken up after the hearing.

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