SGNP officials turn down BJP MLA’s request to host lunch for party workers

The Sanjay Gandhi National Park in Mumbai has turned down a request from the Bharatiya Janata Party's Magathane constituency office to host a luncheon for party workers and provide other facilities like the rest house. The BJP had planned a gathering of constituency party workers, led by area MLA and leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council, Pravin Darekar. The national park does not make arrangements for political meetings. Environmentalists took umbrage at the BJP's request.

Mumbai: The Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP) administration in Borivali on Thursday turned down a request from the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) Magathane constituency office to host a luncheon for their party workers and provide other facilities like the rest house.

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The BJP had planned a gathering of constituency party workers, led by area MLA -- and leader of Opposition in the Maharashtra legislative council -- Pravin Darekar.

A copy of the communique sent to G Mallikarjuna, chief conservator of forests, SGNP, on June 14 has been seen by Hindustan Times. Mallikarjuna has not yet responded to a request for comment. However, Revati Kulkarni, divisional forest officer (SGNP), spoke to HT, saying, “Such gatherings are not allowed inside national parks. We received such a request from a politician but we conveyed to them that we cannot make any arrangements like this. All guests coming to the national park are required to pay an entry fee. Our rest house is not given out for non-forestry purposes.”

Another SGNP’s wildlife department official said, “The letter was discussed internally on our WhatsApp group. It is an unusual request. The national park does not make arrangements for political meetings. When we host any dignitaries, it is always for wildlife or ecology-related purposes.”

Environmentalists took umbrage at the BJP’s request. In a letter to the CCF and other senior department officials on Wednesday evening, environmentalist Debi Goenka, of the Conservation Action Trust, wrote, “I am shocked to learn that some politician has decided to invite himself and his supporters for lunch in the SGNP tomorrow. I do hope the Forest Department will not set a very unhealthy precedent by paying for the lunch or even waiving off the entry fees for his supporters. In any case, using any Rest House for such a programme will be a violation of Supreme Court orders. I do hope that this programme is cancelled.”

Goenka, who as a member of the Bombay Environment Action Group (BEAG) had secured an order from the Bombay High Court in 2003 calling for increased protection of SGNP, said, “The Supreme Court has previously passed an order banning the use of rest houses in protected areas for commercial purposes or by people other than the forest department. It is a good thing that the politician’s request has been turned down. Tomorrow, others may want to host their supporters here. It can’t be allowed. That’s not what national parks are for.”

Till the time of going to press Pravin Darekar has not yet responded to HT’s request for comment.