Context:

• Over 56,000 km of ecologically sensitive areas in the Western Ghats could not be
  earmarked as ‘no-go’ zones due to State governments’ ‘insensitivity’, a parliamentary
  panel has said.

Details:

• The Panel has urged the Union Environment and Forests Ministry to constitute a committee to address the issues and grievances of the local people.
• This has come into discussion due to the recent catastrophic monsoon floods in Kerala and parts of Karnataka.
• The disaster mainly implies the ecological insensitive administration of the concerned six State governments of Goa, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka, says the Committee on Government Assurances in the Rajya Sabha.

Committee on Government Assurances:

• The Committee consists of 15 members in Lok Sabha and 10 members in Rajya Sabha.
• A Minister is not nominated to this Committee.
• While replying to questions in the House or during discussions on Bills, Resolutions, Motions etc., Ministers at times give assurances or undertakings either to consider a matter or to take action or to furnish the House further information later. The functions of this Committee are to scrutinize the assurances, promises, undertakings etc. given by Ministers from time to time and to report to the respective Houses of Parliament on the
  extent to which such assurances etc. have been implemented and to see whether such implementation has taken place within the minimum time necessary for the purpose.