Minister K Raju, who is in charge of the departments of Forest and Wildlife Protection, has made some marked remarks against the proposed Athirappilly project. Stating that the project no longer is a viable option for the state, he said that he hasn’t received any official information from the Electricity Department regarding the project. According to K Raju, several court orders in the past had barred the government from cutting down the trees in the proposed project area.
Forest Minister’s comments needed to be read in the context of the clash of opinion amongst the LDF leadership over the controversial project. Several prominent leaders from the leadership have publically marked their difference in opinion regarding the Athirappilly project.
