Kerala to host South Indian Forest Ministers Conference

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 29 (UNI) Kerala will host a two-day South Indian Forest Ministers Conference here from November 3, State Forest Minister Binoy Viswom said today.

Talking to newspersons here, he said this was the first time Kerala was hosting such a conference, in which Forest Ministers from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Puducherry would participate.

Mr Viswom said the idea of such a Conference was conceived by the Left Democratic Front(LDF) as only through a mutual understanding and cooperation by the States, protection of wild life and forest could be made more effective.

Stressing the need for preserving the forests in Western Ghats, as it was considered as the hot spot in the world because of its rare organic wealth, he said it could be achieved only through a mutual cooperation between the states.

The Conference would also discuss various issues interested to the Southern States like an elephant corridor, setting up of the Southern Headquarters of Crime Record Bureau at Kochi and exchanging of Information Technology through the ISRO, he said.

Besides the Conference would also discuss the realisation of another Tiger Reserve Forest in Parambikulam and Chinnar area in Kerala and Anamala Indira Gandhi National park in Tamil Nadu, he added.

The suggestions arrived in the Conference would be jointly declared on the final day, he said.

Kerala Chief Minister V S Achuthanandan will inaugurate the Conference, which would be presided over by Mr Viswom.

Besides Tamil Nadu Forest Minister, N Selvaraj, Karnataka Forest Minister Chennigappa, Andhra forest and environmental Minister Vijayaramaraju Sathucharla and Puducherry forest and Industries Minister V Vaidalingam, top officials from Central Forest and Environmental Department and officials from Southern states would participate in the discussion, he added.

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