MPHC admits PILs on Ratapani and tiger protection force

BHOPAL: Madhya Pradesh high court on Thursday admitted two petitions one over delay in notifying Ratapani area as a tiger reserve and government's failure to set-up special tiger protection force (STPF).
Both petitions have been moved by RTI activist Ajay Dubey through his counsel Siddhartha Radhelal Gupta.
Over delay in setting up of tiger protection force, state government said proposal regarding its constitution is under consideration and is at an advanced stage and a final decision is expected to be taken within a month.This submission was taken on record.
During its previous hearing on Ratapani issue, court served a notice to state government and National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) for undue delay in notifying Ratapani area as a tiger reserve, despite receiving an "in-principle approval" from Centre in 2008. Government has been given a three-week deadline to reply.
Counsel for Dubey, Siddharth Gupta, said, "Division bench of high court comprising Chief Justice A M Khanwilkar, Justice S S Kemkar issued notices to state government, department of forest, PCCF Wildlife, State Wildlife Board, National Tiger Conservation Authority, environment ministry asking them to reply why proposed Ratapani Tiger Reserve has not been notified till date despite approval NTCA."
State government was duty-bound to notify Ratapani tiger reserve, which has not been done till date, Gupta stressed. Tiger conversation authority gave its nod to make Ratapani and Singhori wildlife sanctuaries as Ratapani Tiger Reserve spreading over 890 sqkm in Bhopal-Raisen forest division.
File has been gathering dust in bureaucratic corridors without political or executive will to formally notify the reserve, he said. A proposal for notification of Ratapani as a tiger reserve was moved in backdrop of rising tiger population in the sanctuary and big cats repeatedly straying into Kerwa forests of Bhopal district. This was creating a problem of habitat availability for tigers and resulting in man-animal conflict in the region.