Leaders of KC-M, the third largest partner in the ruling Congress led UDF in Kerala, will meet tomorrow to decide the next course of action after an Office memorandum was issued by the Centre on Kasturirangan report.
The meeting had been convened by KC-M supermo and Finance Minister K M Mani in response to a letter given by Government Chief Whip P C George, who has expressed his wish to resign the post as a protest against the 'injustice' done to farmers in hill areas.
A section of party members had expressed their dissatisfaction over the Office memorandum issued by the Centre on Kasturirangan report.
Talking to reporters, George said the meet tomorrow would take a collective decision on party's stance on the issue, which has become a major topic of debate for the coming polls.
"If I resign alone, it will be a breach of party discipline and so, I have asked party Chief Mani to call a meeting of top party leaders to take a decision on the collective approach to be taken by all MLAs of the party," he said.
It is significant that KC-M leader P J Joseph, state Water Resources Minister stayed away from today's cabinet meeting apparently as a mark of protest against Centre's stance on the issue.
KC-M wanted Centre to issue a new notification delisting agriculture lands, human habitation places, plantations from the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA).
The party also demands that 123 villages notified as ESA has also to be removed from the list.
Settlers farmers in high-range areas of the state are the main support base of KC-M, which has 11 MLAs in the assembly.
