PANJIM: The High Court of Bombay at Goa has directed State government to determine and settle the rights and claims of the Scheduled Tribes (STs) and other forest dwellers following the law as expeditiously as possible within 12 months from the date of the order passed regarding notifying Tiger Reserve on July 24, 2023.
While hearing a miscellaneous civil application filed by the Goa Foundation, Advocate General Devidas Pangam told the Court that the State government was in the process of complying with the clause (vi) of the judgment and order for determining and settling the rights and claims of the Scheduled Tribes and other forest dwellers following the law as expeditiously as possible
within 12 months from the date of the order passed last year.
The Advocate General said that the clause (vi) of the order was not a subject matter of challenge before the Supreme Court and that every possible endeavour is being made to comply with the directions before the outer limit prescribed.
Further as per the court directives, the government had already set up eight additional anti-poaching camps at strategic locations staffed by forest guards, watchers, etc, in the Wildlife Sanctuary and National Parks i
n Goa, the Advocate General said.
The High Court has now posted the matter for further hearing on July 30.
On July 24, 2023, the High Court had ordered the State government to declare the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as a Tiger Reserve within a period of three months, in response to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by the NGO Goa Foundation.
However, the State government filed a special leave application (SLP) before the Supreme Court, challenging the July 24, High Court order directing it to notify the Tiger Reserve and additionally to prepare a tiger conservation plan as per the Wildlife Protection Act and to submit it to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) within the same time-frame.
On September 25, 2023, the Supreme Court refused to grant stay to the High Court of Bombay at Goa order, directing the State government to notify the Mhadei Wildlife Sanctuary and its surrounding areas as Tiger Reserve, and issued notices to the Goa Foundation, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC). National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) and Goa State Board for Wildlife, Chief Wildlife Warden and the Principal Chief Conservator of Forest.
The matter is presently pending before the Supreme Court.