PORVORIM: Maintaining that the government will challenge the High Court order on Tiger Reserve, the Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Thursday told the House that “if required a legislation would be brought to defend the decision in the interest of people”.
Rane said that being representatives of the people, the “government will do everything to defend the interest of the people” and ensure “justice is done”.
“The government will make its plea before the appropriate authority. If we have to take our case to higher authority, we have to take and defend our people, Rane said.
“We are going to stay with our people. We will defend it. If required we will bring in legislation and defend our decision,” Rane said.
“Just because those people (living in wildlife sanctuaries) cannot raise their voice or cannot afford money to hire a lawyer to challenge the matter in the Supreme Court, we cannot abandon them,” he added.
The Minister said “I fully respect the judiciary. But do we want the economic activity to come to a standstill? The reserve area as marked by HC order is right from Sattari to Canacona.”
He added that the State already have large chunk of area in the protected areas and measures are being taken.
“Whether anyone including NGO or government undertaken socio-economic impact study or assessment study or tiger population study, if not on what basis should we go for Tiger Reserve? Where are we going to rehabilitate those people? They are already suffering because one Governor in 1999 during President’s Rule found that we need a sanctuary and declared it,” Rane said.
Charging the NGO Goa Foundation, the petitioner in the HC, the Minister questioned whether it has ever visited a Tiger Reserve or stayed there? “I am a passionate tiger lover. I have been visiting Tiger Reserve areas in last 16 years and spending almost 10-12 hours. I know what the restrictions are and how life is affected,” he added.
Earlier, the Opposition voiced in favour of declaring Tiger Reserve to protect and preserve the wildlife and River Mhadei from being diverted, while the ruling bench raised its strong objection on “humanitarian” ground highlighting the possible displacement of thousands of people residing within the protected corridors from Mhadei in Sattari to Cotigao in Canacona taluka.
The Opposition led by Leader of Opposition Yuri Alemao, demanding immediate implementation of High Court order, was of the clear view that the Tiger Reserve needs to be looked as a “Goa centric issue” and in the interest of River Mhadei, which is facing serious threat of water diversion by Karnataka.
The ruling MLAs- Deviya Rane, Premendra Shet, Daji Salkar, Ulhas Tuenkar and Kedar Naik were at the forefront to raise objections to the proposed Tiger Reserve. The MLAs categorically stated that considering that the tiger is a transit animal, a detailed study on its sighting and habitat need to be undertaken along with socio-economic impact of the possible reserve.
Stating that Tiger Reserve is not feasible in a State like Goa, the ruling has demanded that the government should take steps to protect the villagers and rethink the order.
Speaking on the cut motion moved to the Forest Department, the Leader of Opposition said that dislocation of people is a concern, but the subject needs to be looked at as Goa centric and in prospect of Goa.
He pointed out how the people were displaced for various government projects like Selaulim Dam and Konkan Railway among others.
Alemao said that we need to take all the people, likely to be affected, into confidence and solutions need to be worked out.
“The issue is not about tiger v/s locals but the issue is about preserving, protecting our wildlife and mother (river) Mhadei. According to me, it has to be declared as a Tiger Reserve. Looking at the Mhadei fiasco, this is a serious issue,” he said, adding that “Picture should not be created that those demanding declarations of the tiger are against the people. This cannot be painted.”
Alemao said that it is a water tight judgment and needs to be accepted. He further said that there are no better people than those residing in the sanctuary to protect the wildlife and Tiger Reserve.
GFP Fatorda MLA Vijai Sardesai sought to know the clear cut stand of the government on the issue. “Tiger is a national animal. Government needs to act to protect the tiger as it will have a direct link to our Mhadei case,” he said.
Earlier, Poriem MLA Deviya Rane said that hundreds of families, thousands of people will be affected with this decision.
“It is very easy for the people sitting in the city areas to comment and demand for a Tiger Reserve but they should go to those villages and see how people are suffering due to various stringent restrictions imposed ever since Mhadei was declared as a sanctuary,” she commented.
She said, “Mhadei is just a corridor for transit animals. Has any survey been done to identify the total number of tigers there or whether there is daily tiger sighting. One or two tigers are spotted once in one or two years and for that you want to declare the entire corridor right from Mhadei to Cotigao as Tiger Reserve?”
She said, “Mhadei was declared a sanctuary in 1999 but the people have been residing within the sanctuary for generations. People are already suffering due to sanctuary and its restrictions and now with Tiger Reserve they will suffer more. We need to think about our people.”
Mayem MLA Premendra Shet urged the government to rethink on the court order before taking any decision as it will have large implications.
“We are thinking about tigers, no doubt, but what about the people residing in these protected areas? How are we going to protect them? We need to think about them first,” he said.
Benaulim AAP MLA Venzy Viegas questioned the government’s intention to declare Mhadei as a Tiger Reserve.
He pointed out that the frequent tiger sighting by locals and the death of four tigers including cubs in 2020 was the turning point for need for a Tiger Reserve.
“We have three months to declare Tiger Reserve and hence it is important that the government create necessary awareness among people,” he said.
