Prakash Javadekar calls on Kerala CM

Thiruvananthapuram, June 21: Union minister Prakash Javadekar on Tuesday,June 21 called on Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan here and held discussions on various issues concerning the state.

The Environment and Forest Minister, who was here to take part in the BJP's state level International Yoga Day celebrations, met Vijayan at the state secretariat.

Emerging from the brief meeting, Javadekar told reporters that they discussed several matters, including Sabarimala and Western Ghats issues.

"We discussed a lot of matters including forest issues, Western Ghat issues and Sabarimala and about wildlife, animal conflicts and afforestation," he said.

Replying to a question, he said the long pending hydro-electric project, proposed at ecologically sensitive Athirappilly in Thrissur district, did not come up during the discussions.

Stating the BJP-led NDA government wanted to work together with all the state governments, he said it believed in "co-operative federalism". "We believe that cooperative federalism, as proposed by Prime Minister Narendra Modi, is very important... We will work together with all the state governments and will take care of the feelings and aspirations of people, including those of Kerala, while formulating new policies," he said.

Consultations were on with states on new forest policy and also over review of Coastal Regulation Zone rules, he added.

State Minister for Power and Devaswom Kadakampally Surendran and BJP state President Kummanom Rajasekharan were also present during the discussions.

PTI