Govt to relocate 800 families from tiger reserves
The government is keen to relocate more than 800 families living inside the five tiger reserves in the State and will prepare an action plan for their rehabilitation in the next two months.
Addressing a joint press conference in Bangalore on Monday, Social Welfare Minister A Narayanaswamy and Forest Minister C P Yogeeshwara said a budget of Rs 100 crore was required for the rehabilitation programme. Of the 940 families which have voluntarily sought for rehabilitation, as many as 142 families have been relocated by National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) by paying them compensation of Rs 10 lakh, a free gas connection and three acres of land.
“We would also like to rehabilitate the remaining 800 families. In addition to the funds from the Centre, we will make provision for the rehabilitation package in the state budget to expedite the process”, he said.
There are five tiger reserves in the State - Bandipur, Bhadra, Dandeli-Anasi, Nagarhole and Biligiri Ranganathaswamy Temple Wildlife Sanctuary.
The ministers were speaking after holding a joint meeting to discuss the problems faced by tribals in forest areas including man-animal conflict especially in Mysore-Chamarajanagar belt. Elected representives from the region were present.
Narayanaswamy said the government had received 1.64 lakh applications for community rights under the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers’ (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006. However, 1.44 lakh applications have been rejected on various grounds. As many as 6,073 applications have been considered, he said.
At the same time, the government will provide “possession certificates” to 3,000 tribesmen living near the periphery of forest areas within the next two months. The food and civil department will provide them with Anthodaya cards within the next one and a half months, Narayanaswamy said.
Yogeeshwara said there should be a permanent solution to prevent elephants from straying into villages. He said a meeting of experts has been convened on January 21 in Bangalore to discuss the issue and come out with a comprehensive approach to the problem.
He stressed the need to strengthen elephant corridors, boundary walls without gaps and solar fencing in this context. The minister lamented that the forest department was not getting sufficient budgetary allocation and said he would pursue the matter with Chief Minister D V Sadananda Gowda.
