On Wednesday, Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan reached out to communities in the highlands ahead of the April 9 Assembly elections and stated that his government has taken legal and financial measures to protect their lives and livelihoods, despite challenges posed by central laws.
Addressing a press conference in Kanjirappally, he also refuted the UDF's claims that the government was acting unilaterally regarding rehabilitation initiatives in Wayanad, which was affected by landslides. He accused the opposition of spreading misinformation instead of engaging constructively.
Vijayan said the conflict between humans and wildlife in the hilly regions has become a serious social issue that directly affects people's lives and livelihoods in the state.
"The state government has been continuously working on this issue. However, the Centre's Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 remains a major obstacle, limiting the state's ability to act independently," he said.
Despite repeated requests, the Centre has not allowed Kerala to declare wild boars as vermin.
"This law was introduced by the Congress, and the BJP government has failed to introduce necessary amendments, further complicating the issue," he alleged.
Vijayan said that despite these limitations, the state government has continued to work towards protecting the people.
He pointed out that the Assembly had passed amendments to wildlife and forest laws, empowering the Chief Wildlife Warden to take action against animals that pose a threat to human life. However, these bills are still awaiting central approval.
Highlighting relief measures, he said that compensation for families of those killed in wildlife attacks has been increased from Rs 10 lakh to Rs 14 lakh.
Assistance of Rs four lakh has also been provided to victims of deaths caused by attacks from snakes, bees, and similar incidents.
Financial aid has also been provided to those who have suffered serious injuries or disabilities due to the human-wildlife conflict.
Regarding the rehabilitation efforts in Wayanad, Vijayan stated that they were not unilateral as claimed by the opposition, and that discussions were ongoing on various aspects such as housing design, construction execution, fund mobilization, and cost per house.
Despite being aware of these deliberations, the opposition later chose to back out, Vijayan alleged.
The government had taken the lead in the rehabilitation process, as it was a responsibility that needed to be fulfilled collectively.
He also said that the concept of a township was not imposed by the government, but emerged from the desire of landslide survivors in Mundakkai and Chooralmala areas in Wayanad to live together as a community.
Taking a dig at the Congress, which leads the opposition UDF bloc, Vijayan asked where the houses promised by the party for Wayanad rehabilitation were, alleging that its commitments remained unfulfilled.
He accused the opposition of backing out of its offer to contribute to the rehabilitation efforts and questioned the decision of the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), a key UDF constituent, to move ahead with a separate project.
He also sought to know what happened to the funds collected by the Congress in this regard.
The opposition in the state was in a "helpless situation", he said, claiming it had nothing substantial to criticize the government with.
In the recent Assembly session, the opposition was unwilling even to participate in discussions or raise fact-based criticisms, he claimed.
He sought to reject allegations against the Kerala Infrastructure Investment Fund Board (KIIFB), terming them as baseless, and said people were aware of the development works undertaken through the agency over the past decade. Projects worth Rs 62,000 crore were taken up through KIIFB in five years and development initiatives had reached all constituencies.
Vijayan also claimed that Kerala remained one of the least corrupt states in the country, attributing it to the governance approach of the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF), which, he said, followed a zero-tolerance policy towards corruption.
Stating that people were closely watching the developments, he said the LDF continued to enjoy public support and remained committed to standing with the people.
On the buffer zone issue, Vijayan said the state adopted a stand to protect inhabited areas and succeeded in securing a favourable verdict from the Supreme Court, excluding human settlements from mandatory buffer zones around protected forests.
Further, he said protecting public sector industries, supporting rubber farmers, and ensuring legal and financial interventions for safeguarding highrange communities reflect the government’s pro-people approach.
"Kerala presents a governance model where development and social justice go hand in hand," he added.
Turning to the rubber sector, Vijayan claimed the crisis faced by farmers has its roots in national policies.
He pointed to the ASEAN Free Trade Agreement implemented by the Centre in 2010, which opened up imports and severely impacted Kerala's rubber farmers.
"This policy was introduced by the Congress-led Centre and continued by the BJP government," he said.
In contrast, the LDF government in Kerala has taken steps to protect farmers by increasing the support price of rubber from Rs 180 to Rs 200 per kg.
The CM also said that Kerala Rubber Limited is being set up at Velloor with an investment of Rs 1,050 crore to develop a value-added rubber products industrial hub across 164 acres.