While one enters the Rajaji Tiger Reserve area from Shyampur range which comes under Haridwar forest division one finds boards prohibiting boozing and smoking. But ironically, in the buffer zone which was added to Rajaji National Park and Tiger Reserve on April 20 2015, English wine is being sold for the past many days. The forest officials and the excise officials remain mum with the vendor having paid the excise duty and other dues till 30 April. Though the villagers are complaining about the flagrant breach of the norms, no step is being taken to stop boozing in the forest area with the officers concerned raising the issue of jurisdiction. Speaking to The Pioneer, DFO Haridwar forest division H K Singh said, “We received such complaints earlier too. But the fact is that the site where the vendor is selling wine and liquor comes under UP irrigation department. Placed in this situation, we can hardly take any action.” DFO further said that acting on the complaints when the foresters tried to shoo the vendor away he showed the documents, showing all dues to the excise department cleared CCtill 30 April. However, the wild life activists are not happy with the state forest department shrugging the matter off its shoulders, citing jurisdiction and clearance of dues. Speaking to The Pioneer, an environment activist Dinesh Pandey said, “I tried to speak to the principal chief conservator D K Mahajan regarding violation of the Tiger Reserve through rampant boozing and smoking. I also drew his attention to the threat of forest fire with the tourists casually dropping the unextinguished cigarette stubs in the bushes. However, the officer chose to pass the buck, saying that it was a matter for police to take action.