The National Green Tribunal (NGT) while hearing the case of conversion of Ratapani sanctuary into Tiger Reserve instructed the State Government to submit an affidavit clearing its stand over the issue.
Notably, the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved in principle to convert the Ratapani sanctuary into Ratapani Tiger Reserve in the year 2008 only and told the Chief Wildlife warden of the state to send a detailed proposal for the same, but the State Government failed to submit it till date.
The Bhopal bench of NGT in its order on Monday over the issue told the chief secretary Anthony de Sa to submit an affidavit before the tribunal to clear state government’s stand over it.
NGT’s Justice Daleep Singh also told that the Principal Secretary – Forest, Principal Secretary – Urban Administration Department (UAD) and Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) to remain present before it in person on the next hearing of the case scheduled for May 16.
On the prior occasion the NGT included Wildlife and Rights Activist Ajay Dubey in the petition as intervener on December 14, 2015 and told the state government to respond over his issues pertaining to the case.
The points Dubey raised are early conversion of Ratapani Sanctuary into Tiger Reserve as per the wish of NTCA, construction of conservation units on Kerwa - Kaliyasot areas forest land besides forest over revenue land, tiger conservation plan should be prepared, cameras for continuous monitoring to stop wood smuggling should be installed around the Ratapani Tiger Reserve and to remove Caracas Disposal Unit made in the Ratapani.
Dubey while talking to The Pioneer over the developments in the issue said, “Despite having good number of tigers in Ratapani the government under pressure from influential people took a U turn over the issue informed the NTCA through a letter last month expressing its inability to convert the Ratapani Sanctuary into Tiger Reserve.”
Dubey further said, “We have come to know that NTCA has rejected Madhya Pradesh government’s proposal and has asked to reconsider its view.”
He said that we have also filed a petition in this regard in the MP High Court (MPHC) in October 2014, over that MPHC issued notice to the state government seeking its reply but the state government has not submitted its reply till now.