PANJIM: “I have no faith in State governments’ audit,” Prof Madhav Gadgil, who chaired the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), said pointing to Goa government’s decision to re-demarcate the ecologically sensitive areas around its wildlife sanctuaries and not to go ahead with implementation of Dr Kasturirangan Committee report.
Gadgil said that if the State wants to do its own study and assessments then they are welcome but our experience is that the government statistics are by and large fraudulent. “I have no faith in state governments’ audit. They may conduct it in non-participatory and non-transparent fashion,” he said, adding that his WGEEP report was transparent and participatory.
Speaking to media persons at the sideline of an interactive session on ‘The Development Model India Needs’ organized by Goa University and International Centre Goa, Gadgil said that “with complete confidence I can say that we have very carefully looked at the ground situation and done extensive field work to frame the report.”
The ecologist said that there was public participation in the report drafted by the panel and the panel suggestions were not to impose on public but to take local bodies into confidence before imposing it.
“We have discussed with lots of people from all section of Goa –from mine owners to villagers in the mining affected areas. We have provided a set of suggestions which we have stressed are not final and not to be imposed on people, but to be put before them for their consideration,” he said.
“Our report (on Western Ghats) should be taken to gram sabhas, their reaction should be obtained and than in a democratic fashion decision should be implemented,” he added
Environment Minister Alina Saldanha in the recently concluded Assembly session had said that government will demarcate the ecologically sensitive areas around its wildlife sanctuaries and submit a detailed report to Union Ministry of Environment and Forests by January 31 next year.
He had said that Goa has not accepted Dr Kasturirangan report as it has not taken into consideration the land constraints and social needs of the people.
