Relocation of villages near reserves soon
MINISTER Good package will be given to displaced villagers
of residents in priority villages in and around the state’s three tiger reserves remains a challenge but effort is on to complete the process by October, forest and environment minister Gajendra Singh Khinvsar said on Wednesday.
The government is preparing a good package for villagers who would be displaced, he said.
In order to provide inviolate space to wildlife, the forest department has identified 108 villages in and around the tiger reserves – Ranthambore, Sariska and Mukundra – for relocation. Nine village have already been relocated and 14 are under progress.
Khinvsar said forest and tourism were closely knitted, people from across the globe come Rajasthan to see tigers but villages were coming as hindrance. In comparison to Sariska and Mukundra, at Ranthambore major villages have been relocated.
At Mukundra reserve, two villages need to be relocated. People residing since generations there are unhappy in absence of facilities such as school, hospital etc but what required is a good package – ₹10 lakh package offered is less, he said. “We need to pro- Ranthambore Sariska Mukundra vide them developed land, even financial support for tube well,” he said. “We are developing a fair system and have asked all the chief conservator of forest of the three reserves to prepare a wish list. By amending packages, the resident will themselves come forward.
The residents are residing since generations, what they look for good package – there shift will also bring crop loss. We need to compensate for their produce on market value,” the minister said after chairing a department review meet.
Since 2008 till March 2017, around 1,350 families have been relocated from notified core of Ranthambore Tiger Reserve, and for the same ₹126.28 crore has been spent from funds received from NTCA. At Sariska Tiger Reserve, since 2008 to 2016, around 646 families have been relocated and ₹56.04 crore has been spent. At Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve, 27 families have been relocated and ₹82.52 lakh been spent.
“We have decided to introduce tigers at Mukundra Hills Tiger Reserve in Kota by December 2017 and for that prey base is being shifted. By August 15, a prey base of 400 to 500, comprising chital, sambar and blue bull will be shifted,” he said. Soon a survey would be done by Wildlife Institute of India to assess whether the reserve is ready to shift the tiger or not – two tiger from Ranthambore will be shifted here, he said. A male tiger will be shifted to Sariska by July 15 as final permission is awaited from the Centre, he said.