Residents stage protest against Project Tiger

Urging the government not to include Kudremukh National Park in the  Project Tiger, the residents staged a protest in Kudremukh on Sunday.

 The protest was organised by Nellibeedi Samrakshana Samithi. The protesters walked from Nellibeedu to Kudremukh covering four kilometres.  

The protesters shouted slogans against the forest department, Project Tiger and NGOs and blocked the road at Kudremukh Circle for half an hour. Later, the residents gheraoed the office of RFO of Kudremukh Wildlife division. 

Addressing the protesters, Nellibeedu Samrakashana Samithi Secretary Suresh Bhat said that the villagers were kept in dark when the Kudremukh National Park was announced. Now, the government is planning to expand the area of Project Tiger by icluding the National Park. 

There are hundreds of families possessing RTC under Forest Rights Act and Bgarahukum in the National Park limits. In the name of Project Tiger, there is a conspiracy to bring all the residents into streets. 

Samse Gram Panchayat President Jagadish said that Project Tiger if implemented will affect around 20 villages. The Gram Panchayat has already passed a resolution against the implementation of the proposal. “We had lost our land for KIOCL 40 years ago. Now again in the name of Project Tiger, we will come to streets,” said Vishwanath Gowda. 

Advocate Ananthesh said “if the Project Tiger is included then the roads will be closed. It is a conspiracy of the NGOs to get foreign funds. We have to make use our constitutional rights to conserve our land.” 

K L Vasu of Malnad Hitharakshana Vedike said that owing to the pseudo NGOs, acacia is grown on the grassland. 

Project Tiger is being implemented in a area where Tigers do not survive. 

The forest officials after accepting the memorandum said that they have not received complete details on the Project Tiger.