NGT slaps fine on Uttarakhand over laxity in replying

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) on Monday slapped a fine of Rs 20,000 on Uttarakhand government and other agencies for not filing reply against a plea seeking rehabilitation of villages inside Rajaji National Park.

The Tribunal bench, headed by chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar, slapped the fine on the Uttarakhand government, forest department and the chief conservator of forests of Pauri Garhwal District.

Rajaji National Park, which is known for leopards, elephants and tigers, has about ten villages towards south of its western region. According to the park officials, mass scale rehabilitation of some communities is already going on.

The Tribunal imposed fines against the government and agencies following their careless attitude against a plea of Uttarakhand's resident Madan Singh Bisht, who demands to set a monitoring committee for rehabilitation of the revenue villages inside the park.

"I am not aware of what happened in the tribunal today but those ten villages are outside the boundary of the national park," a senior forest official told IANS on the condition of anonymity.

According to the officials, Rajaji Park was declared a National Park in 1984 but the same was notified in 2013 and in May 2015 the park was declared a Tiger Reserve.

"When the boundaries of the park were notified, it was found that those villages are outside the forest boundary, but the villagers still want to move," another official added.

According the Indian government's policies, the families shifted from the forest areas are offered a relocation package, which is land against land or Rs 10 lakh per adult. The Forest Rights Act, however, leaves the choice of moving or staying with the families.

--IANS

kd/vgu/dg