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VPF to agitate against govt move to denotify Seethakonda
A team of representatives belonging to the Visakha People’s Front (VPF) comprising A J Stalin, B Ganga Rao, B Markandeyulu, P V Ramana, M S N Murty, P Narayana Murty and Ravi Kumar led by its Chairman Prof K S Chalam, who visited Seethakonda thick forest area near Visalakshinagar on Saturday, threatened to agitate against the proposal mooted by the government to denotify Seethakonda forest area.
Visakhapatnam: A team of representatives belonging to the Visakha People’s Front (VPF) comprising A J Stalin, B Ganga Rao, B Markandeyulu, P V Ramana, M S N Murty, P Narayana Murty and Ravi Kumar led by its Chairman Prof K S Chalam, who visited Seethakonda thick forest area near Visalakshinagar on Saturday, threatened to agitate against the proposal mooted by the government to denotify Seethakonda forest area.
Condemning the government’s proposal, the Front demanded withdrawal of its denotification move forthwith suspecting that it only benefits corporate bodies. Observing that severe environmental problems would arise from such hasty decisions, the team felt that it was not good to benefit the corporate bodies at the cost of public health.
VPF Chairman Prof Chalam informed that the State government has proposed to denotify about 3,000 hectares on Seethakonda, Yerrakonda, Nadupuru and Narava hills for which the GO Ms No 343 has already been issued. The government is proposing to set up star hotels, big commercial establishments, convention centres and luxury recreation clubs.
Pointing out that the VUDA has already invited consultants for making detailed project reports for Seethakonda and Yerrakonda without even conducting public hearing, he alleged that it was purely violation of the Acts.Another representative Stalin said that day temperatures in Vizag are on the rise, along with pollution problem, as 23 to 43 per cent of greenery was destroyed in the Hudhud devastation.
He also reminded that many committees had recommended the governments not to set up any establishments or industries on the hilly areas but to protect the same. Front convener Ganga Rao alleged that the denotifying Act of important hill areas is nothing but to benefit entrepreneurs of the ruling party which is like ‘quid pro quo’ concept.
He criticised that the state government, which had denotified about 5,000 acres of forest land earlier, has not allocated equal quantity of land to the forest department even today. Taking strong exception to the attitude of local public representatives keeping mum on the serious issue, the Front leaders threatened to agitate if the proposal was not taken back.
