Krishna for CMs' meet on Forest Act

By Our Correspondent

CHIKMAGALUR, MAY 11. The Chief Minister, Mr. S. M. Krishna, today said he had asked the Prime Minister, Mr. A. B. Vajpayee, to convene a meeting of Chief Ministers to discuss the problems arising out of the implementation of the Forest Conservation Act.

He told presspersons here that the Act had created a lot of confusion in Karnataka and Supreme Court rulings on the subject had aggravated the problem. A Cabinet sub-committee, formed to find a solution to the problem of encroachments on public property, was expected to submit its report soon.

He said the mite menace affecting coconut plantations on a large scale in Kadur taluk in the district and other districts, was prevalent in Tamil Nadu and Kerala too. He had requested the University of Agricultural Sciences and the Agriculture Commissioner to interact with various agro-based corporations across the country to find a way to eradicate the pest.

Mr. Krishna said a copra purchasing centre would be established in Kadur. The Agriculture Minister had held talks with NAFED and he would be meeting the Chairman of NAFED during his next visit to New Delhi. Work on a 220 KVA power station in Kadur would start this year.

He stressed the need to develop inter-district and taluk roads. As the World Bank would be sanctioning funds for the upgradation of State highways, the funds hitherto earmarked for State highways would be utilised to maintain major district roads and other roads.

The Chief Minister denied that the information technology industry was being confined to Bangalore. He pointed out that Mangalore and Mysore accounted for a good chunk of the Rs. 7,300 crores worth of software exports from the State.

With regard to the environmental hazards likely to be posed by extending the mining lease period and mining area of the Kudremukh Iron Ore Co. Ltd., Mr. Krishna said the State's interests would be protected and the Government would not yield to pressure from any quarter.

The Chief Minister, who reviewed the progress of development works in the district, observed that the problems were not as many or as serious as those in other districts. Mr. D. B. Chandre Gowda, Minister for Law and Parliamentary Affairs, Mr. C.R. Sagir Ahmed, Minister for Transport, and Ms. Motamma, Minister for Women and Child Welfare, were present.

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Section  : Southern States
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