Kochi: Kerala government has clarified that it has suspended the order granting permission to Tamil Nadu to chop trees near Mullaperiyar. The government will look into the files related to issues raised with Kerala before taking a final decision to cut the trees, a top Forest department official at Thiruvananthapuram told newsskerala.com.
He said, “the order has not been cancelled, but kept in abeyance.” When asked how long it would take for Kerala to come out with clarity on the matter, he said the government was pursuing all the related matters. But it was not possible to tell any time frame for it.
The Supreme Court observations in this regard would be analysed properly before taking a final decision, he added.
Meanwhile, the opposition has got a golden chance to target the left government on an issue that had created headache for different governments as it involves the security of the people of many districts in central Kerala.
The issue created controversy after Tamil Nadu thanked Kerala for allowing it to cut the trees in the reserve forest area which is subject to clearance from the Union Environment Ministry and the Supreme Court.
The topic became murkier after Kerala Forest Minister A K Saseendran said that he was not aware of the permission given to Tamil Nadu. He sought a report from the chief conservator of Forests. Based on this the government decided to suspend the order related to the chopping of trees.
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