PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa on Monday adjourned to December 11, hearing in the two miscellaneous civil applications filed by the Goa government and the NGO Goa Foundation over the issue of notifying Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding area as Tiger Reserve, since the matter was fixed before the Supreme Court on November 10.
The State government has filed a special leave petition (SLP) before the Apex Court challenging the High Court’s order dated July 24, 2023, to notify Tiger Reserve is likely to come up for hearing on November 10. In view of this, both – The State government and the Goa Foundation made a joint request to the High Court to keep the hearing after Diwali vacation, informed Advocate General Devidas Pangam.
On November 1, the High Court had adjourned the hearing in the miscellaneous civil applications filed by the State government and the Goa Foundation.
The State government is seeking extension of time to notify Tiger Reserve after the three-month deadline set by the High Court ended on October 24, while the Goa Foundation has approached the High Court seeking directions to issue notices to respondents under the Contempt of Courts Act.
On September 25, the Supreme Court had declined to grant stay to the High Court’s order directing the State government to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as Tiger Reserve, and issued notices to the Goa Foundation, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA).
The 2014 Status of Tigers (Co-predators & Prey) in India report, released by the statutory body National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) formed under the Wild Life (Protection) Act of 1972, speaks about the tiger presence in the region, the Goa Foundation has said.
