Foresters, babus lock horns over farmhouses in Hoshangabad's Satpura

HOSHANGABAD: While a controversy rages over killing of a tiger cub at a farmhouse owned by deputy speaker of Madhya Pradesh Assembly Rajendra Singh near Bandhavgarh tiger reserve in Umaria district, bureaucrats and forest officers have locked horns over construction of farmhouses in tiger reserve buffer zone in Hoshangabad district.
Farmhouses are being constructed by Manisha Kalani, wife of Indore-based businessman Manish Kalani, and two other businessmen.
Dispute began after officers of Satpura Tiger Reserve (STR) stopped construction work of farmhouses at Rainipani village, citing it as major threat to forest, tigers and other wildlife animals. STR officials also called it a case of violation of Supreme Court orders on eco-sensitive zones.
They have been served notices for carrying out construction work without permission from local advisory committee (LAC) which reviews tourism strategy and permits constructions around tiger reserves.
Speaking to TOI, STR director RP Singh said, "We have issued notices to three people, including Manisha Kalani to halt constructions. Area where they are constructing farmhouses are frequented by tigers and sloth bears. We only want them to follow norms."
While foresters in the field are questioning the constructions, officers in secretariat are seemingly in favour of farmhouses. Principal secretary (forest) AP Srivastava objected to action by STR officials after a complaint by Manisha Kalani. In a letter to state's chief wildlife warden Narendra Kumar (a copy of which is in TOI's possession), Srivastava questioned authority of STR officials for taking cognizance of the matter.
He said construction of farmhouse was being carried out on a private land and STR officials do not have the right to act on areas outside the notified region. "In case any action has been taken, it is illegal," Srivastava wrote. Forest officials countered this saying so-called private land has enough trees to be considered a forest as per Supreme Court guidelines.
STR officials are not willing to yield. "They have violated norms. Permission of gram panchayat is not just enough and they should have taken permission from town and country planning department also. Kalani has mentioned that it's an agricultural land notwithstanding the fact that no farming was ever done in that region," said an STR officer wishing anonymity.
Meanwhile, Kalani filed a petition before court of additional district magistrate (ADMs) against the action. Kalani had procured 24.38 acre of land in Rainipani village in 2008. Through the petition she said, farmhouse was being constructed under provisions of Rule 17 of MP Bhumi Vikas Niyam, 2012 and with due permission from gram panchayat Magariya.
She also maintained farmhouse was not intended to be used for any commercial purposes including hotel, resort or lodge. "Land is marked as agricultural even in the proposed master plan- 2021 of the area.
Next hearing is scheduled for April 18.