THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will soon appoint an expert committee for direct inspection of buildings, construction activities and agricultural land in the buffer zone adjacent to eco sensitive zones and to prepare a report. The members of the committee will be senior officers of local self-government, forest, revenue and agriculture departments. The President of the committee will be among them. The Chief Secretary will form a committee and issue an order after consulting with the minister.

The action is taken in context of the Supreme Court case. An interim report will be requested within one month. Kerala is the only state to have filed a review petition against the Supreme Court verdict declaring one kilometer area near the forest boundary as buffer zone. The Centre had taken the stand that the states can approach the Supreme Court as per their own interest.

Kerala approached the court with a new cabinet decision that the residential areas should be excluded from the buffer zone.