Madhav Gadgil flays Kasturirangan commitee report

Eminent ecologist Madhav Gadgil, who headed the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), today flayed the recommendations made by the Kasturirangan committee on the hills,saying it contains 'unconstitutional' statements.

He said that Kasturirangan, who headed the 10-member high high-level working group, constituted to examine the WGEEP report, had not shown 'scientific courtesy' to ask him about what was done by WGEEP before commencing his panel's work on its recommendations.

Interacting with the audience after delivering a speech on 'sustainable rebuilding of Kerala' at a function organised by the Indian Association of Lawyers here, he said there were differences between the two reports on the Western Ghats.

"As a scientist, I must saywhat I did was entirely transparent and open. Dr Kasturirangan is an old respected friend. He knows me for last 30 years.

When he started I thought it is proper scientific courtesy since his work was to take our report furtherhe would ask. He never did", Gadgil said.

Gadgil said when he contacted Kasturirangan, he had claimed certain things in his database it was superior to the WGEEP database.

"I requested him to kindly put it in the public domain. He never did it. It was a great scientific violation",he said.

He said the WGEEP database was placed in public domain.

Gadgil said a major difference was that Kasturirangan panel made an 'unconstitutional statement in his report,saying that the local community (in the hills) cannot have any say in economic decision making."