New Delhi, Jan 30: The Centre on Wednesday allocated Rs 600
cr for the "Project Tiger" scheme under the 11th plan for
the conservation and rehabilitation of the endangered specie.
The major portion of the money, Rs 500 cr, will be
spent for the rehabilitation and relocation of the villagers
residing in the tiger reserves.
"The major portion of fund, i.e. Rs 500 cr, would be
spent for relocation and rehabilitation of people living in
core or critical tiger habitat and implement safeguard and
retrofitting measures in the interest of wildlife
conservation," Finance Minister P Chidambaram said after a
Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs.
Presently families in the 273 villages staying in core or
critical areas in 28 tiger reserves in 17 states need to be
relocated with each affected family proposed to get Rs 10
lakhs as demanded by the National Tiger Conservation
Authority.
The Finance Minister said the scheme would also
rehabilitate and resettle denotified tribes involved in
traditional hunting and mainstreaming livelihood and wildlife
concerns in forests outside tiger reserves.
"About Rs 32 cr would be spent on establishing eight
new tiger reserves in states like Tamil Nadu, Karnataka,
Chhattisgarh and Assam," Chidambaram said, adding that
corridor conservation through restorative strategy to arrest
fragmentation of habitats would also be ensured.
A part of the outlay would go toward ensuring allowance
to ministerial staff working in tiger reserves as well as to
promote eco-tourism.
Rajesh Gopal, head of NTCA hailed the increase in
sanctioned money and described the as a "milestone" which, he
said, would go a long way in saving the endangered species.
"The move highlights the need for conserving the tigers
in our forests. From Rs 150 cr in Xth plan, the government
has appropriately enhanced it to Rs 600 cr to ensure
inviolate space for the endangered species," he said.
However, the wildlife activist Ashok Singh of Wildlife
Trust of India (WTI) felt there was a need for an effective
mechanism even as fund has enhanced.
"What is the mechanism to ensure that the money reaches
for the tigers' conservation?. In many cases in the past, we
have found that once fund reaches the states, it does not move
from there," Singh said.
Bureau Report