Karnataka seeks Rs 100 crore from Centre to relocate villages inside protected areas

In a measure that will finally bring relief to families that have agreed to relocate outside protected areas, the state government has proposed to the Union government to release Rs 100 crore for the voluntary relocation of families currently living inside protected areas.

The state steering committee for Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA), chaired by the chief secretary, recently cleared the Forest Department’s annual plan of operation for 2026-27 with a total outlay of Rs 416.12 crore.

Under the CAMPA rules, funds are collected from agencies that seek the diversion of forest land. Accordingly, Karnataka’s funds have reached Rs 1,300 crore. However, the funds cannot be utilised without the approval of the CAMPA executive committee under the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

Voluntary relocation is considered a win-win situation by authorities who have hailed it as an effective instrument in reducing man-animal conflict while simultaneously improving the livelihood of the relocated families by facilitating their integration into the mainstream.

The Centre’s executive committee, however, had rejected the state government’s demand for a mere Rs 10 crore in the previous financial year to relocate 67 families. The reason for rejection was the lack of details of “approval under which the activity was approved.”

To a question, CAMPA executive committee chief executive officer Anand Mohan told DH that the state has to provide details as per the guidelines issued by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).

“We have communicated in clear terms that the state should provide all the details regarding voluntary relocation as laid down in the NTCA guidelines. The only additional requirement is the clearance from the state steering committee,” he added.

Comprehensive
proposal

To a question, Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (CAMPA) A Radha Devi said all the necessary details were submitted with the proposal, but the reason for the rejection was unknown.

“This time, we are submitting a comprehensive proposal with all the granular details in the hope that there would be no reason for the rejection of the proposal,” she added.

Lack of funds has become a major roadblock for the programme, even as hundreds of families have asked for relocation. The issue came to the fore last year when an elephant in Kudremukh National Park trampled to death two men waiting for relocation for a year.