Not just the Opposition, even the LDF government is clear that Tamil Nadu should not be allowed to cut trees near the Mullaperiyar baby dam. But the question that begs an answer is this: How can the senior-most officials in the Irrigation and Forest departments act in complete violation of the stand adopted by Kerala in the Supreme Court.
Forest Minister A K Saseendran said in the Assembly on Monday that the political executive (including himself, Water Resources Minister Roshy Augustine and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan) were not aware of the decisions taken by their top officers. "The moment we came to know of this, we took prompt action," Saseendran said while responding to an adjournment motion moved on the issue by Congress MLA Thiruvanchoor Radhakrishnan.
Thiruvanchoor said there was a "mysterious" haste in issuing the order allowing Tamil Nadu to cut down 15 trees near the baby dam. "The Forest Department passes on Tamil Nadu's request (which had been pending since 2015) to the Irrigation Department on October 30 and, on November 1, a meeting was convened in the chamber of the additional chief secretary (irrigation) where permission was granted. And on November 5, the Chief Wildlife Warden issued the order allowing the cutting down of trees, " Thiruvanchoor said and added sarcastically: "The speed with which the decisions were taken were swifter than a train running on the proposed Silver Line."
He said the timing of the order was suspect as Kerala had been asked to submit an affidavit on the issue in the Supreme Court on November 11. "Why this haste when Kerala was about to submit an affidavit in the case," he asked. "This will weaken Kerala's case in the Supreme Court," he said.
Opposition Leader V D Satheesan expressed bewilderment at the ignorance of the ministers. "Our ministers and the chief minister supposedly did not know the decisions taken by Kerala's officials but the Tamil Nadu chief minister did, " Satheesan said. (The consent given by Kerala came to light after Stalin shot off a thanks message to Pinarayi Vijayan.)
"If you were not aware of an order issued by an official under you, I ask you with all humility why do you still remain as a minister, " Satheesan asked the forest minister.
At this point, Saseendran tried to defend the very order he had frozen on November 7. "The order had not taken any specific decision. It just said that the Tamil Nadu's request was being processed, " the minister said.
Satheesan pounced on this. "Since you yourself had said that the government had filed an affidavit in the Supreme Court saying Tamil Nadu's request could not be acceded to as they have not secured the necessary clearances, how can an official under you even suggest that the request is being processed, " he asked.
Saseendran had earlier said in the House that Kerala had informed the Supreme Court that Tamil Nadu's request to cut down trees could not be granted as it had not secured the sanction of the National Wildlife Board and the necessary clearances under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980.
Satheesan said that if senior officers still acted against the state's interests, it was only because they were forced to by their political masters. "The additional chief secretary, Kerala's lone member in the Mullaperiyar Supervisory Committee and the officer tasked with upholding Kerala's interests, would not have taken such a decision unless it was dictated by his political masters, " Satheesan said.
