First meeting with Modi went well, says Chandy

Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy Monday expressed happiness over his first meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, and said he was assured that his state would be consulted before a final decision is taken on the Western Ghats report.

"The prime minister has assured that Kerala and all the other states would be consulted before a decision is arrived at. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar also said that media reports that said a final decision would be arrived at on June 4 were not correct. All the states would be heard," Chandy, who was in Delhi to meet Modi, told IANS in Thiruvananthapuram over phone.

Chandy said he also raised the issue of the biggest central PSU in Kerala, the Fertilisers and Chemicals Travancore Ltd. (FACT), that was awaiting the centre's nod for release of funds.

He said the prime minister has agreed to look into all other pending issues.

"We will prepare a fresh document of the pending issues of each ministry and our ministers will come to Delhi and brief the concerned central ministers," Chandy said.

Media reports recently quoted union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar as saying that a decision on the reports prepared by the Madhav Gadgil and K. Kasturirangan panels on how to conserve the ecologically fragile Western Ghats would be taken soon.