PANJIM: Forest Minister Vishwajit Rane on Monday said that the State government will explore all options for quashing the High Court order directing the government to declare Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and peripheral areas as Tiger Reserve, before approaching the Supreme Court.
Soon after the High Court pronounced its directions, Rane held a detailed discussion on the implications of these directives with Chief Minister Pramod Sawant and Advocate General Devidas Pangam.
“We respect the High Court’s directions but at the same time, we will examine all options with the Centre. I am with the people of Sattari taluka. We are firm with the stand taken by the State Wildlife Board,” Rane told reporters.
On July 13, the State Wildlife Board rejected a proposal to set up a Tiger Reserve in the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary contending that the coastal State, being small, does not fit into the criteria laid down by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) with regards to declaring protected areas as Tiger Reserve.
“The government is committed to protecting the interest of people residing in the Wildlife Sanctuary. We will not let them down. A team of lawyers will represent the State in the Supreme Court to set aside the High Court order,” Rane said recalling, “We are till date unable to rehabilitate the people living in Wildlife Sanctuary after it was notified in 1999.”
