Centre assured not to implement Kasturirangan notification till new panel submits report: CM Bommai
New Delhi, Jul 25: The Centre has assured that it will not implement the notification on Kasturirangan report on declaring eco-sensitive zones in Western Ghats until the recently set up committee to address the concerns of states submits its report, Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said on Monday.
The chief minister led a delegation of state leaders, including ministers and MPs, from Malnad region to apprise Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav of their concern over the draft notification declaring 20,668 sq km of the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive area in Karnataka.
Union Minister of State for Agriculture Shobha Karandlaje, Karnataka Home Minister Araga Jnanendra, Dakshina Kannada MP Nalin Kumar Kateel, Shimoga MP B Y Raghavendra, Kodagu-Mysuru MP Pratap Simha, BJP national general secretary C T Ravi and others were part of the delegation.
Briefing media after the hour-long meeting, Bommai said, "We shared our views about Kasturirangan report... The basic objection we put forth was that the report was prepared without undertaking any ground survey and without taking opinion of gram panchayats."
The Kasturirangan Committee has declared eco-sensitive areas in Western Ghats without distinguishing the cultural and natural landscape, he alleged, adding that besides Karnataka, Kerala and other states too have similar objections.
Environment Minister Bhupender Yada, in the meeting, said a new panel has been set up to examine the suggestions of the states and that it will visit each state to take local people's opinion, he said.
The Union minister also said that the committee will study in detail and submit a report. He also assured that "till such time, the notification will not be implemented," the Karnataka chief minister told media.
On April 16, Union environment ministry had set up a committee headed by retired IFS officer Sanjay Kumar to examine the concerns of Karnataka, Kerala, Goa, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Gujarat in respect of declaration of ecological sensitive areas in Western Ghats region.
Bommai also mentioned that a high-level state committee will be set up on the terms of reference of the central committee to assist the latter during its visit to the state.
The Kasturirangan report was "very unscientific", Bommai said and added the state will take measures to ensure the report prepared by the new central committee is scientific.
Last week, the state cabinet opposed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests draft notification declaring 20,668 sq km of the Western Ghats as eco-sensitive area as per the recommendation of Kasturirangan Committee and urged the Centre to withdraw the notification.
The ministry had recently issued a draft notification announcing 46,832 sq km as eco-sensitive area in five states along the Western Ghats as per the recommendation of the Kasturirangan Committee.
Of these, Karnataka has the highest area (20,668 sq km). All states concerned have been given three months to file objections.
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Trump says EU has until July 4 to approve last year's trade deal or it will face higher tariffs
Washington (AP): President Donald Trump has said in a social media post that goods from the European Union would face higher tariff rates if the 27-member bloc fails to approve last year's trade framework by July 4.
The announcement on Thursday appeared to be a deadline extension after the president said last Friday that EU autos would face a higher 25 per cent tariff starting this week. Trump made the updated announcement after what he described as a "great call" with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Still, the US president was displeased that the European Parliament had yet to finalize the trade arrangement reached last year, which was further complicated in February by the US Supreme Court ruling that Trump lacked the legal authority to declare an economic emergency to impose the initial tariffs used to pressure the EU into talks.
"A promise was made that the EU would deliver their side of the Deal and, as per Agreement, cut their Tariffs to ZERO!" Trump posted. "I agreed to give her until our Country's 250th Birthday or, unfortunately, their Tariffs would immediately jump to much higher levels."
It was unclear from the post whether Trump was implying that the tariff rates would jump on all EU goods or the increase would only apply to autos.
His latest statement indicates he might be backing away from his earlier threat on EU autos by giving the European Parliament several more weeks to approve the agreement.
Under the original terms of the framework, the US would charge a 15 per cent tax on most goods imported from the EU.
But since the Supreme Court ruling, the administration has levied a 10 per cent tariff while investigating trade imbalances and national security issues, aiming to put in new tariffs to make up for lost revenues.
