Karna govt delayed move against Kasturirangan report: Gowda

Karnataka government had delayed its move to request the Centre to withdraw the notification declaring the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive zone as per the Kasturirangan report, Union Minister D V Sadananda Gowda said today.
The state moved slowly against the Kasturirangan report, while neighbouring Kerala and Goa opposed the report without any delay, he told reporters here.
The BJP in Karnataka was the first to oppose the Kasturirangan report, the Minister for Statistics and Programme Implementation said.
He said it was impossible to understand the ground reality through a study based on satellite images, adding when this report was tabled, the Centre had sent circulars to all the states to study the ground reality, its merits and demerits.

Gowda said several people would lose their houses and no developmental activities could take place if the report was implemented.
"What is stopping the state government from preparing a scientific report and submitting it to the Centre," he asked.

The state cabinet yesterday decided to reject the recommendations of the Kasturirangan report and convey the same to the Centre.
On the Supreme Court's order pressing criminal conspiracy charges in Babri Masjid demolition case against L K Advani, Uma Bharti and M M Joshi, he said he did not want to discuss an issue pending before the Court.
On bypoll results in Gundlupet and Nanjangud Assembly constituencies in Karnataka which was won by ruling Congress, Gowda said such results would differ from state to state.

The percentage of votes for BJP had increased in the bypolls, he said.