Kochi: The Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission has called on the state government to act fairly and transparently concerning the final ESA notification.

In a statement, Archbishop Andrews Thazhath, Chairman of the Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission, expressed concern over the state government’s failure to address the numerous issues raised by the people of Kerala in a transparent manner.

Despite the 60-day period for public objections to the sixth draft notification published on July 31, 2024, the state government has yet to provide accurate ESA maps to the public. Moreover, despite a court order, the government has not released a Malayalam translation of the draft notification.

The state’s proposal of 8590.69 sq km as the reserve forest area covering 98 villages mirrors the errors in the Oommen v. Oommen Committee report and other official documents from the state government in 2018. This continues the government's failure to rectify the previously incorrect area of 9107 sq.km of forest across 123 villages listed in earlier draft notifications. The Public Affairs Commission has urged the government to correct these discrepancies and issue an addendum as soon as possible.