Gadgil panel report best roadmap for Western Ghats: Ramesh

He said that a large part of the concerns over the Gadgil Committee report were borne out of ignorance and deliberate and mischievous misreading of its recommendations.

“Had we been more open and more proactive, perhaps much of this confusion could have been avoided,” he said.

Ramesh said that he supported the methodology adopted by the Gadgil panel in preparing the report.

“I want to tell him that I am with him and I support him. I support not his conclusion, but his methodology. “What the conclusions are could be different but the methodology is participative, it is consultative and it is democratic and we must initiate this process of debate and discussion and not allow the debate on the Gadgil Committee report to be hijacked by the sand mafia or the mining mafia or the construction mafia,” he said.

Meanwhile, observing that faster economic growth was absolutely essential for India Ramesh, however, reminded that deforestation and degradation of natural resources was not the way to prosperity.

“Development is inevitable. Aspirations of people are rising. Expectations of people are rising. No democratically- elected government can afford to ignore the aspirations of the people. “But at the same time, we must recognise the unique biodiversity of Western Ghats,” the minister added.