Western Ghats panel gives approval With the financial year nearing its end, the district-level co-ordination panel of the Western Ghats Development Committee has given green signal to a slew of development projects, including a Rs.2.35-crore scheme for wetlands. Works on wetlands such as Mandrathodu and Elanikkad Moozhi, which had been approved by grama sabhas, have been included in the projects sanctioned by the committee. The approval was given at a meeting headed by District Planning Officer M.A. Ramesh at the District Collectorate complex here on Thursday to review annual projects. So far, only 50 per cent of the funds allowed in 2003-04 for wetland conservation had been spent, the Western Ghats district panel said. The meeting further approved fund allotments, including Rs.10.43 lakh for footbridges, Rs.27.14 lakh for schemes for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes and Rs.18.43 lakh for women empowerment schemes.