Minister for Excise and Labour T.P. Ramakrishnan on Monday held talks with leaders of Karshaka Raksha Samiti, a coordination committee of farmers’ organisations in Kozhikode district. The samiti has been on the warpath against the enlarged buffer zone limits around the Malabar Wildlife Sanctuary.
People’s representatives, political leaders, and officials of Forest and Revenue departments were present.
The samiti demanded that the State government submit a fresh appeal to the Centre to exempt inhabited areas, farm land, and trade centres from the proposed buffer zone. Subsequently, the Kozhikode Divisional Forest Officer was asked to prepare a fresh report on the situation in 13 villages in Kozhikode and Wayanad districts by October 15.
The samiti leaders also called for the intervention of the State government to limit the proposed buffer zone within the forestland.
Thamarassery Bishop Remigiose Inchananyil who is also the patron of the samiti said the decision to launch an indefinite stir against the notification would be reconsidered in view of the positive response from the State government.
