Union Rural Development Minister Jairam Ramesh, stating that his personal views on the Athirapally project or the Western Ghats had not changed, said the report submitted by the Madhav Gadgil-led Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel was balanced and detailed as well.

Talking to the media here on Monday, Mr. Ramesh said though he had “nothing to do with Athirapally now since the Environment and Forests portfolio was not anymore with him”, his views on the issue had not changed and that he believed the Gadgil panel to have done an “outstanding job”.