On one hand the State’s Advocate General has advised the State government to approach the Supreme Court for extension of the deadline to notify Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve, while on the other, he told media that there is no need for such a notification. This makes one wonder if the government has studied the Wildlife Protection Act at all. AG has questioned the need to separately issue an independent notification when the proposed tiger reserve area is part of the wildlife sanctuary itself.
In a way, this opinion challenges the very orders given by the High Court. Another reason cited by AG for the extension of the deadline is that the process to secure the rights of people residing in the area is still ongoing. The Goa bench at Mumbai High Court on July 24 had directed the State government to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as Tiger Reserve by October 24 in its 94-page order. The government is planning to approach the Apex court for the extension of the deadline which is merely a week away. So, why did not the government start the procedure to secure people’s rights in the last three months? The Supreme Court had also refused to grant the stay on the High Court order last month itself. So, by citing the reason of safeguarding people’s rights, why is the government approaching the Supreme Court again? The sequence of these events are inexplicable.
In total, five tigers from Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary have reportedly died between 2009 and 2020. Hundreds of acres of land was burnt down to ashes in the forest fires this year. Is the government serious about all this at all? The government talks about securing the rights of locals but it is just an excuse to shield themselves from delaying what needs to be done. If the government was truly concerned about the rights of ‘bhumiputras’, then they would not have been still fighting for their land rights 60 years after Liberation. The amount due to the locals or their ancestors from North Goa who have lost their orchards and fields to mining still haven’t received it. Why is the government not resolving those issues first? In fact, the government has amended the Land Transfer Act 21 times in the last 10 to 15 years. Did that not violate the rights of locals? Why is the government not getting any wiser despite being condemned by the court for standing with the mining companies after the mining scam? The then union minister of environment and forests Jairam Ramesh had written to the former chief minister Digambar Kamat to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary as a tiger reserve. Ramesh recently re-shared the letter dated June 28, 2011 on the microblogging site X. He also stated that Goa has no other option than to notify the tiger reserve. On the other hand, the environmentalists are also of the opinion that the notification of tiger reserve would strengthen Goa’s fight against Karnataka in safeguarding Mhadei river. Alas, the government is not wise enough to respect valid opinions. If they were, then they would have issued the notification right after the Supreme Court’s refusal to grant stay on HC’s order. What would one say to politicians who are of the opinion that the tigers in Goa are not settlers but immigrants? Why is the government intentionally delaying the notification despite being scolded by the High Court as well as Supreme Court? Who is really going to benefit from this? Goa’s AG stated that there is no need to issue another notification since the same rules and laws from Wildlife Protection Act will be applicable to the tiger reserve. In that case, what is the big deal in notifying the tiger reserve anyway, then? If there will be no new restrictions due to the notification, why should the government hesitate to notify the tiger reserve? Or, should one conclude that the government is now used to the scoldings of the courts? Many of the legal experts have opined that there is little to no possibility for the government to get a nod on the extension. On October 24, it would be clear whether Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary be notified as a tiger reserve or if the government receives another wherret from the court.
