Instead of recommending action against the Tourism Corporation of Gujarat Ltd (TCGL) for illegally acquiring a patch of forest from Gir Wildlife Sanctuary for its tourism activities in violation of the Forest Conservation Act (1980), the Regional Empowered Committee (REC) of the Union Environment Ministry has suggested a way to the State entity to wriggle out of the unauthorised forest land diversion issue.
The violation came in light after the TCGL through the State Government had sought diversion of .7540 hacters of forest land from the Gir Wildlife Sanctuary for regularisation of lion safari lodge under tourism activity by the TCGL in 2017. The Gujarat Government had moved a proposal before the REC claiming that the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) had already approved the diversion.
However, after detailed analysis of the proposal, the REC found that the TGCL had illegally occupied a patch of land, to be precise around .34 hactres for the safari lodge. Now, it was seeking additional .7540 hectares of land from the wildlife sanctuary to extend its tourism activities.
Seeking reply from the TCGL, the REC in a meeting last year in June deferred the proposal saying that “The user agency needs to clarify its intension about the .34 hactres of land under their possession. As Manager TGCIL, clarified during discussion, the area is required to be evacuated as early as possible as it attracts the Forest Conservation Guidelines.”
The REC also took exception that during the diversion request proposal no records were made available to the committee regarding the exact year of construction of structures and constructed by the RCGL on .34 hactres of forest land. The same needs to be sought from the TGCL or from the State Government. The panel also found that the proposal lack mandatory details.
For instance, “density of vegetation is not given and there are no trees marked for felling on the proposed forest land. Last year, the REC deferred the proposal in want of information such as signing of lease/extension of lease after 1980 without obtaining prior approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 which amounted to violation of the laws,” said the panel which referred the matter to a sub-committee.
The project proponent had said that the hotel has been in existence prior to the enactment of Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and was on lease till 2013. The lease is required to be renewed now and the recommendation of Standing Committee is needed as it is a non-forestry activity under Sec 29 of Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
“The REC examined the proposal for diversion of forest land under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. It considered the proposal and report submitted by the Sub committee of RFC and decided that before diversion of .75 hactres of forest land is to be considered the unauthorised occupation of .34 forest land shall be get evacuated and possession taken by forest department.”
The sub-committee formed thereafter in its report on August last year noted that the TCGL had admitted that the said area (.34 hactres) required to be evacuated as early as possible as it attracted the Environment Ministry guidelines. Interestingly, instead of imposing penalty for open violation, the REC suggested that “If, however, the user agency/State Government find it difficult to operate the facility without the area having facilities on .34 hactres, the revised proposal for entire area of 1.10 hactres forest land shall be submitted to the Ministry.