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Four years on, 3,000 residents in Rajasthan's tiger reserve await relocation
Four years on, 3,000 residents in Rajasthan's tiger reserve await relocation
Kota, Around four years after the Ramgarh Vishdhari Tiger Reserve in Bundi was notified, nearly 3,000 residents of eight villages located inside its core area continue to live under the threat of wildlife attacks as the relocation process is still underway.
RVTR was declared the country's 52nd and Rajasthan's 4th tiger reserve in May 2022; the forest department initiated voluntary relocation of the villages situated within its core area of over 481.90 sq km.
The reserve is spread over a total area of 1501.89 sq km, including the core and buffer zone.
In the first phase of relocation, three villages Gulkhedi, Bherupura Antri and Bheemganj located within the buffer zone were notified for relocation.
According to the reserve officials, nearly 70 per cent of families in Gulkhedi have vacated their dwellings, with 88 structures demolished.
Out of 215 identified families in the village, 213 have selected their compensation options and begun displacement work; the remaining two are still to decide their package.
In Bherupura, around 150 families out of 264 submitted files have received their first instalment of ₹3 lakh; second-instalment payouts remain pending due to state budget allocations.
In Bhara Dhundhla, about 60 family files are undergoing document verification.
Relocation for Keshavpura, Bhimganj, Haripura, and Javora ki Jhopriya is slated for subsequent phases.
The department is offering three voluntary compensation models - Cash Package: ₹15 lakh per eligible unit, paid in instalments, Land Package: Alternative agricultural land for major landholders and DLC Package for non-resident landholders.
Speaking to PTI, deputy conservator of forests , RVTR, Arunkumar D said there are currently eight revenue villages located inside the critical core zone of the tiger reserve.
The first instalment of the compensation package had been distributed to these families by the department. Funds for subsequent payouts of the second and third instalments are awaited, he added.
As the main factor is the availability of land for the relocation package, the department sent a proposal to the Central Government requesting the de-reservation of a forest block, Keshavpura, located near Khatkar, the official said.
The proposal received first-stage clearance to de-notify and de-reserve approximately 244 hectares of land in the Keshavpura block after the central ministry meeting in May.
The local administration is currently working through the forest rights and settlement procedures for this land.
In villages like Keshavpura, comprising 106 households, no individual relocation file has been completed yet, while the locals complain of the absence of information and communication on relocation from the forest department.
"While residents recognise relocation is inevitable and are willing to move due to increasing tiger sightings and safety concerns, the department has failed to hold clear informational meetings," Shambhudayal Gurjar, a government school teacher in Keshavpura, said.
Increasing animal encounters create fear during daily travel, leaving residents eager for a swift, transparent, and fair relocation process, he said.
Relocation efforts in the RVTR face persistent delays in the absence of dedicated staff to expedite the process, wildlife activist Vittal Sanadhyay pointed out, adding overall progress over the past four years had been slow due to a shortage of full-time personnel.
To resolve these bottlenecks, requests were submitted to senior authorities, including the Wildlife Warden and the Forest Department Minister, demanding a dedicated team. However, they did not receive action so far, Sanadhyay said.
DCF Arun Kumar D agreed that lack of dedicated staff was the reason behind slow relocation and added he had also written to the senior official for a change of staff pattern in RVTR.
This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
