Buffer zone: Protests intensify; Kerala CM calls emergency meeting tomorrow

Thiruvananthapuram: Amid growing protests over the demarcation of eco-sensitive zones (buffer zone) in Kerala, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan has called for an emergency meeting at his chamber on Tuesday to discuss the issue.

Ministers of revenue, forest and local self-government departments will attend the meeting.

The opposition parties and various organisations have alleged that the satellite survey report published by the government on buffer zones is incomplete and lacks clarity.

The people are concerned as the satellite survey of the forested areas in the state had left out several residential and agricultural areas and thousands of constructions.

Though Forest Minister AK Saseendran had stated that the government would not submit the aerial survey report to the Supreme Court as it could contain certain inconsistencies, he later went back on his statement.

Saseendran said the government had no choice but to submit the survey report to the apex court. However, stakeholders believe the government will face backlash from the court over the report.
The state government decided to conduct a satellite survey and prepare a report following the Supreme Court's order on ESZs.

But, it remains to be seen whether the court will take lightly the inconsistencies and errors in the report and allow for corrections in the supplementary report prepared by the expert committee.

Meanwhile, Youth Congress activists protested against Saseendran, who was in Kalpetta in Wayanad to attend a programme on Monday. They were later arrested.

Won't let Pinarayi throw dust in eyes of public: Congress

The Congress reiterated on Monday that it would organise a strong public agitation if the Left government does not set aside its alleged "indifference" and address the concerns of the people on the buffer zone issue.

Several senior Congress leaders, including Kerala Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president K Sudhakaran and Leader of Opposition in the state assembly V D Satheesan, in the past few days, have been issuing this warning to the Left government.

On Monday, after a meeting of KPCC office bearers and DCC presidents, Congress state general secretary (organisation) T U Radhakrishnan told the media that the Pinarayi Vijayan government will not be permitted to "throw dust in the eyes of the public" by way of the "hastily conducted" satellite survey and the Left will face the same agitation as on the issue of the SilverLine.

He further said that as part of the third phase of the 'public trial' of the Left government, which was allegedly "deteriorating day by day due to inflation, corruption, nepotism, police raj etc",  around 50,000 people would lay siege to the Secretariat in the last week of January 2023.

It was also decided in the meeting that in continuation of such protests against the LDF government, public meetings would be held in 1,000 centres across the state by January 15, 2023, he said.